


Hysteria

by ToshiHakari



Category: Code: Realize
Genre: F/M, Fluff and Smut
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-01-21
Updated: 2017-06-19
Packaged: 2018-05-15 08:04:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 60,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5777815
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ToshiHakari/pseuds/ToshiHakari
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a sudden, puzzling change in Cardia's behavior and subsequent investigation triggers a series of unforeseen events, it opens up a world of hitherto unknown passion and desire to the young girl, as well as her companions. But is it really possible to separate their feelings from their needs? Or will their jealousy drive them apart?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Wanted Man

The change in Cardia’s behavior came suddenly and without any prior notice. From one day to the next, the usually sweet, relaxed, upbeat girl turned into someone totally unrecognizable. Impey’s usual, light-hearted banter was all of a sudden met with annoyance, gentle words of proposition shot down in anger. While Impey was upset at first, thinking her anger had something to do with him and only him, he soon realized that all the other men in the mansion, Lupin, Van Helsing, Victor and even Saint-Germain were targets of Cardia’s irritability.

It was as if someone had flipped an invisible switch.

Not only her mood seemed have underwent an extreme change, soon she seemed to suffer from a wide array of symptoms that were inexplicable to everyone.  
During the day, Cardia was often out of breath, her skin color pale. She would flare up with energy one moment, getting upset at something someone said, then suffer from a fainting spell the next. Her appetite seemed to come and go as it pleased and so did her ability to sleep. Lupin and the others would lay awake at night in worry as they listened to Cardia roaming the halls of the mansion in restlessness.

It was finally after a particularly strong outburst of emotion from Cardia, that it all came to a head, with Saint-Germain calling the other four men into his study.

„To be honest with you, I had hoped that Cardia’s condition would better itself, that her mood swings would eventually disappear, but the more days pass, the more she seems to feel worse… I am grievously worried about her.“ Saint-Germain sighed deeply, his face filled with sorrow as he sat down in the winged chair behind his desk.

„I agree,“ Van Helsing said while taking out his shotguns and started to polish them with experienced movements in an attempt to hide how nerve-wracking the whole situation was to him.

„It looked like this might just be a temporary thing, but I’m starting to think that there’s more to it. Maybe it’s caused by the Horologium? Victor, what do you think?“

Everyone turned to the young doctor, who looked as equally pained as the others.

„I am not completely sure, but there’s a high probability of her body undergoing some sort of transformation. Again“.

„Do… do you think it might be something serious?“ Lupin asked, his voice filled with anxiety.

„I couldn’t say. I guess I would have to examine Cardia.“ Victor replied.

„Dammit and just as we have managed to get rid of the damn poison in her body!“ Impey exclaimed, jumped up from his seat and started to pace the room like an animal in captivity.

„Impey, calm down. You’re helping nobody with this,“ Van Helsing uttered, his grip tightening around the handle of his shotguns.

„Fran, I feel like it’s the best if you took a look at Cardia and ruled out any possible resurgence of the poison in her body.“

„But, but what if-„ Impey started, but was shot a dark look by Van Helsing.

No one wanted to even think about any „what ifs“.

„It’s decided then.“ Saint-Germain said as he folded his hands with ever so gracious movements. „Doctor, please examine Cardia immediately and report back to us about the cause of her symptoms. It’s best we don’t waste any more time.“

„I will do my best.“ Victor replied as he got up, striding out of the room with forceful, determined steps.

~**~

Just a little while later, Victor stood in front of Cardia’s room, his bag with tools and equipment firmly held in his right hand as he rose his left to gently knock on her door. 

„Who is it?“ came the reply, barely audible and - to Victor’s concern - far too weak. 

„Cardia, it’s me, Victor. Do you mind if I come inside for a moment? There’s something I need to talk to you about.“ 

When she answered, her voice was far too soft, her words of permission nearly lost in the process, but Victor still heard them. He opened the door and stepped inside only to find a scene that turned his blood to ice. Cardia lay on her back on the wide double-bed, her skin pale as a ghost’s and feverish, beads of sweat clearly visible on her forehead, her eyes glazed over and with slightly parted lips, she breathed shallowly.

Victor dropped his bag in shock, then hastily made his way to her bedside and knelt down beside her.

„Cardia! Good god what is happening?!“ he exclaimed, grasping her hand and holding it perhaps a bit too firmly.

„Victor…“ Cardia whispered, taking a labored breath and swallowing before continuing. „I’m feeling strange. I don’t know what’s going on…“ she sobbed, her eyes filling with tears.  
It broke Victor’s heart to see her in this state of agony. 

„Is it the Horologium? Is it acting up again?“ he asked her, panicked. Cardia shook her head very slowly. „No, it’s not. This is totally different from the times when the Horologium acted up. The burning isn’t restricted to my chest, it’s more like… my whole body is on fire.“

A feeling of relief washed over Victor upon hearing Cardia say this. At least it wasn’t the Horologium. Thank god. He had to be absolutely sure though.

„I am glad to hear this, but Cardia, I still need to examine you. We’ve all been worried about your condition for some time now and we all need to know what’s wrong so we can help you. Please.“

Cardia smiled and nodded slowly, weakly lifting her arms so that Victor could help her get up into a sitting position. As soon as she sat upright, she put her head on his shoulder, devoid of energy to keep it lifted up herself. Her skin was hot against Victor’s neck and she sighed contently when she felt the coolness of his. Carefully, Victor tried to move as little as possible as he gently unbuttoned the first couple of buttons of Cardia’s shirt. Indeed, the Horologium on her chest wasn’t glowing or hadn’t changed colors. It lay nestled in her skin before him and - as always - dormant.

What else could it be?

Victor put on his stethoscope and pressed the resonator against Cardia’s skin. Nothing. Well, except for the shallow breathing. ‚Could she be having an infection of sorts? But if so, why hadn’t the others been affected by it?‘ Victor pulled off the stethoscope, his hands instead moving to the sides of Cardia’s neck for palpation. He pressed and probed ever so gently, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. A sharp intake of breath from Cardia stopped him mid-examination. 

„Cardia? Does it hurt?“ Victor asked, but Cardia shook her head, her breathing labored.  
His hands moved further up and when his fingers caressed her cheeks, a moan ripped from Cardia’s chest that froze him in place. Slowly he looked down into Cardia’s flushed face, who looked back at him through half-lidded eyes. „Victor…“ she moaned, slightly writhing under his touch, then closed her eyes as if in pain.

It was then that the scales finally fell from his eyes and Victor realized what it was that had been paining Cardia these last couple of weeks. Blood rushed to his face and he opened and closed his mouth over and over like a fish on land desperate to get back into the water.

"Victor... w-what is wrong with me?" Cardia whispered weakly.

Her voice pulled him out of his reverie and Victor jumped up, almost causing Cardia to topple over. Wobbling, she held on to the edge of the bed and leaned on her arms, looking questioningly at him.

I'm sorry Cardia but I... um... I need to go back to the others..." he stammered, stumbling a couple of steps back. Cardia looked alarmed now.

"I-IT'S FINE! I mean... you're fine... I mean... it's not life-threatening, p-please don't worry!" The words were spilling out of him and Victor felt like he was about to pass out from embarrassment.

"I-I have to look up some treatment options for you... don't be scared, w-we... I mean I, will make sure you'll get better in no time! Now if you'll excuse me... I'll be back soon! I promise!"

He grasped his bag and rushed out of her room, his face still a deep shade of crimson when he eventually returned to Saint-Germain's study, where the other four were waiting for him. He let himself fall on the canapé, hiding his face in his hands.

Lupin and the others immediately assumed the worst and started pestering him with questions.

„What is wrong with her?“

„Is it serious?“

„Please don’t tell me it’s-!„

„Victor, please, we need answers!“

When Victor was eventually able to speak again, his voice was quiet. „She is fine, don’t worry. It’s not serious.“

While everyone breathed a sigh of relief, they were still deeply confused as to why Victor was so upset.

„Victor. There’s something you aren’t telling us. If Cardia is indeed not in grave danger, why did you come barging into this room like a headless chicken? What did you find out? What is it that Cardia is suffering from?“ Van Helsing’s voice was piercing, probing and Victor groaned in agony.

„Yes, Victor. We would very much like to know what it is you found out.“ Saint-Germain added, his usual, unsuspecting smile on his face.

Victor gulped audibly, then muttered something very quietly and quickly.

„Excuse me, but what did you just say?“ Lupin asked and leaned forward.

Victor repeated his words, but again, they were far too fast and far too low.

„Victor, stop this. Speak up for god’s sake.“ Van Helsing said, clearly annoyed with him.

„I said… she’s suffering from Hysteria. Female hysteria* to be precise.“ he finally spoke out and it was all he needed to say to plunge the room into complete and utter silence. Much like him before, slowly but surely each and every face turned into various shades of red, with Saint-Germain’s the least and Impey’s looking like he was close to collapsing.

„H-how d-do you k-know?“ Lupin stammered as he pulled the rim of his top hat down over his eyes. 

For the first time, Victor looked at him directly. „I have read about the symptoms before and believe me, she was showing them. The horologium showed no signs of transformation and there was nothing else that would have pointed me in another direction. There is no doubt about it.“

Saint-Germain stepped forward, his face betraying whatever emotion he was feeling at the moment. 

„Can you treat it?“ he asked, almost matter-of-factly.

„I-I think so. But we would have to build or get our hands on a device that would help her experience… ‚hysterical paroxysm‘.“ Victor replied, the last couple of words a mere whisper as he blushed again.

Somewhat sheepishly, the others looked over to Impey.

"...well we have one person here who can build just about anything..." Lupin quietly said, watching the red-haired mechanic as his facial expression turned from confusion to incredulousness and from incredulousness to terror, all while turning the same shade of red as Victor.

"NO, NO, NO, NO, NO! I'm not going to do this! You cannot possibly ask that of me, Lupin! N-not when... not when C-Cardia... is involved..."

Victor felt sorry for Impey as he watched him burying his burning face in his hands.

„Now, now... there's no need to get upset, Impey. And you don't have to worry about it either, dear Frankenstein. As you know, I have my connections and if obtaining said device is the only problem we have, it shall not be a big one.“ Saint-Germain said, his facial features once again bemused.

He should be proven correct.

~~**~~

Less than a day after Cardia’s examination, one of Saint-Germain’s liegemen brought back a small package to the mansion, which they delivered directly to Victor’s room. Meanwhile, Victor had returned to Cardia and explained to her that, no, she wasn’t ill and no, she wasn’t going to die, so there was no need to worry, but yes, there had to be something done to make her feel better. With a beet red face and hesitant words he tried to describe to the girl what needed to be done, how the treatment would have to be administered and promised her, he wouldn’t do anything against her will. 

Cardia had taken in his words, probably not completely understanding why Victor was so nervous, but was quick to agree. Anything to make her feel better. And after all, Victor was a dear, close friend, a person she trusted. She would be fine.

Victor balanced the package on his lap and opened it carefully. There, nestled in satin, lay the much-needed device. He inhaled and exhaled deeply, before muttering to himself:  
„Get a grip, Frankenstein.“ 

He got up and made his way to Cardia’s room, where he softly knocked on the door. Less than a heartbeat later, Cardia opened it for him. She wasn’t as weak as she had been merely two days before, but she was still feeling and looking off. Her face was still pale, her breathing still shallow, eyes still slightly feverish.

As instructed, she wore the dress she had been wearing back when Lupin and Impey first met her, as it would allow her to not feel exposed while still giving Victor enough access for his treatment. Victor stepped slowly into the room and closed the door behind him. Cardia stood in front of him, unsure of what to do next, her fingers interwoven and resting against her lap.

„Please lay down on the bed, if you would. On your back. And… um… please… remove your… your undergarment.“ Victor stuttered, feeling his face turn red again. „I still have to clean the device before we can start.“ With that he turned to the small basin filled with hot water on the dresser he had prepared and started cleaning and sanitizing the small tool. Meanwhile, Cardia moved behind the partition in the corner and removed her underwear, before returning to the bed, where she lay down carefully.

When Victor was done, he turned around and walked over to her. She lay almost completely still and visibly stiff, her legs straight and closed, as she looked at him expectantly. 

„Um… you need to move closer to the edge of the bed.“ Victor said and watched Cardia do as she was told. He sat down on the corner of the wide bed, careful to keep as much distance as possible while still staying within reach. „A-and now…“ he started, looking away from her face and trying to fixate an unspecific spot on the wall, „…please spread your legs and let them fall against the pillows, so that you’re comfortable.“ 

Victor gulped audibly.

„Victor?“

„Y-Yes?“

„Don’t you have to look into my direction? How would you know where to…“ 

„You’re right… I’m sorry.“

Victor turned his head back, forcing himself to look into Cardia’s face, rather than anywhere else. That would work. He could still see where he needed to go.

He gently pushed the golden button sitting in the middle of the cylindrical device and felt it buzz to life. 

Inhale.

Exhale.

‚You can do this, Frankenstein.‘

Then he moved it south and pressed it against her flesh.

A sudden, strangled moan spilled from Cardia’s lips that Victor was convinced could be heard in the entire mansion, her body starting to writhe on the satin sheets. 

„O-oh my g-god…“ she gasped, before another ripple coursed through her. Cardia bucked her hips, trying to push back against the tiny, rumbling motor and threw her head back as pleasure overwhelmed her. Over and over it repeated itself, this symphony of uttered moans and limbs, moving as if pulled by an invisible force.

And Victor watched. Couldn’t help but watch. Gone were his good intentions, his code of ethics he had set up for himself beforehand. How could he not? When a lovely being such as Cardia looked so angelic in her throes of ecstasy. Soon he wasn’t simply pressing the device against her, but moved it in slow, agonizing circles from her clitoris down to her labia and back up again. Cardia nearly screamed with each new movement, each new unfolding stimulus.

Victor was transfixed by the sight before him. When exactly had his pants become so uncomfortably tight?

But he would behave. He couldn’t listen to his body. His mind would be stronger. He was doing this for Cardia after all. He would-

„Vi…ctor…“ 

His name. It was his name that had suddenly crossed Cardia’s lips.

„Victor… please…“

Her voice was urgent, pleading. In her throes, she caught his wrist, forcing him out of his trance and making him stare back into her intense, green eyes.

‚Oh god. Don’t say it. There’s no going back if you do.‘

But she did.

„Victor… please… I need you… I need to… feel you…“ another moan, another ripple, her toes curling „…inside me…“

For one second he was frozen in place, then it was as if someone had pulled on a string, untying the knot that held him together. Victor forcefully threw the device into a corner, his hands then quickly moving to unbutton and unzip his pants. With a groan he freed his throbbing member and proceeded to climb onto the bed. He hovered above Cardia, once more looking deeply into her eyes. 

„Are you… are you sure about this?“ he moaned. „I- I don’t want to do anything you don’t want to.“

Cardia nodded urgently, every spoken word now unnecessary and too much.

„Please, Victor… “ she begged and Victor complied. He positioned himself at her entrance, then thrust forward and entered her in one swift motion. Cardia gasped, the sensation of being filled so new and almost overwhelming, but at the same time the fulfillment of what her body had unbeknownst been begging for. Her arms wrapped around Victor’s neck, pulling him closer in. The young scientist pressed his forehead against hers, desperate to fight against this tempest of desire flooding his senses, but he knew he would lose.

„Cardia…“ he whispered, his voice heavy with lust and bent down to kiss her. Cardia whimpered when she felt his tongue probing her carefully, gently. With equal tenderness, she reciprocated, imitating his actions, exploring him in the same way as he explored her. She was hesitant, the act of kissing someone so foreign, yet so natural to her. It didn’t take long before she eventually succumbed to her instinct and let all inhibitions go. 

Victor shuddered and began to move, first agonizingly slow, then faster and more urgent when Cardia started eliciting more of those delicious whimpers and moans. They were both suddenly extremely aware of each other, of each labored breath, each uttered name, the smell of fevered skin, the sound of sheets rustling underneath their heated bodies. 

It all came to a head when Victor hit a spot deep within Cardia that made her see white and caused her to cry out in pleasure. 

Again. 

Victor needed to hear it again. 

His hand found its way into the hollow of her left knee and quickly hoisted her leg up on his shoulder, thus allowing for deeper penetration. 

Just a little more. Just a little further.

Victor drove into her over and over, feeling his climax approaching too fast, too soon. That was not what he wanted. He would be lying now if he said his own pleasure wasn’t a driving force behind their fervent lovemaking, but to him Cardia came - quite literally - first. Luckily, she didn’t seem to be too far away from orgasm either, judging by her panting and the shorter intervals between her moans.

It only took a couple more thrusts, then, after what seemed like almost an eternity, she finally came undone. Merely the blink of an eye later, Victor followed suit.

Spent, he fell into the soft bedsheets beside her, panting, trying to get his breath back. Cardia shimmied closer and kissed him lazily before resting her head on his chest. Already, sleep started tugging heavily on her eyelids and she wrapped her arms around Victor’s chest as she began to doze off. 

She looked so calm and utterly satisfied in her sleep. Victor smiled and pressed a kiss to her forehead, gently running his fingers through her hair until he drifted off to sleep as well.

~~**~~

Outside the room, one ear gently pressed to the door, Saint-Germain smiled.

„I knew I could count on you, Dr. Frankenstein…“ he chuckled before turning on his heel and strolling leisurely back to his study. 

„Oh dear Cardia… To behold your awakening to the pleasures of physical love, like a flower blooming in all its beauty for the first time, is a sight that even a goddess would envy…“ 

Saint-Germain’s eyes were glistening, focused on a spot somewhere in the distance. 

„I’ll make sure to witness more of it in the near future…“ he murmured, before disappearing into the dark.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Female hysteria was a once commonly diagnosed condition (especially in the 19th century) that is no longer recognized by medical authorities. Symptoms included faintness, nervousness, irritability, shortness of breath and sexual desire. Women would often visit a doctor and get a genital massage (either by hands or early vibrators) until they experienced „hysterical paroxysm“ a.k.a orgasm. In case you wondered, no, I didn’t make this up: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Female_hysteria
> 
> For the sake of this fic (and because I didn't know whether or not men of that time knew about this), the guys all know what female hysteria is and what "hysterical paroxysm" means. 
> 
> Also, for further elaboration, I just wanted to add that Cardia’s condition isn’t meant to be like a sex-pollen induced arousal, she’s just feeling your general everyday sexual arousal, but because she has never done anything about it in her short life (let alone thought or known about it), there’s a lot of pent up energy/frustration there. 
> 
> Oh and yes, the chapter title is taken from the game and supposed to be a pun ;)


	2. Promise

Victor awoke the next morning to the soft chirping of birds and the first rays of sunlight warming his face. He stretched himself out, then turned to the side wanting to doze off again when he realized that something was off. The bed was larger than his own, the sheets had a different feel to them and… there was another body in bed beside him.

‚Huh… this is strange,’ he thought, the residue of sleep clouding his perception, before it hit him. Startled, he sat up straight, looking around the room in panicked confusion until he eventually saw Cardia’s sleeping form. Memories of last night came rushing in and with them all the sounds, smells and sensations. Victor felt like his heart was about to give out any given second.

Frantically he scrambled to the edge of Cardia’s bed, still starting at her wide-eyed.

„I can’t believe I did this… I can’t believe I did this! I’m the worst, a demon pretending to be a human, just waiting to prey on an unsuspecting, innocent being such as Cardia!“ he whispered in shock as he cupped his face with his hands, rocking back and forth. „What should I do?! The others… they’re going to kill me!“ 

Cardia sighed happily in her sleep, pulling him out of his alarmed state of mind.

‚I need to go before she wakes up… or before anyone decides to come check on her and find me here. How am I supposed to explain this?‘

Trying to make as little noise as possible, Victor gathered his belongings and quickly made his way out of her room (not before checking if there was anyone in the halls of the mansion who could possibly see him), back to his own.

Just as he put his hand on the doorknob, he was startled by a sudden voice from behind.

„Yo, good morning, Fran!“

„Ah!“

Victor gave a yelp, whirling around and pressing his back against his door like a burglar being caught in the act. He stared into Impey’s very confused face.

„What’s the matter, Fran? You look like you’ve seen a ghost!“ Impey asked, clearly worried.

„Uh- it’s, it’s nothing! You just startled me is all!“ Victor replied, his voice way too shaky and a couple of octaves too high.

„…alright. Well, anyway, I just wanted to tell you that breakfast is ready!“ 

„Sorry, but I’m not particularly hungry. I guess I will just stay in my room and do my research… because… that’s what I do as an alchemist. I research things…“ 

Impey looked at Victor like he had lost his mind, while Victor desperately hoped that Impey wouldn’t catch on.

„Ooookay then, Fran.“ Impey finally said. „I’ll save you something though. In case you get hungry during your ‚research‘“ He chuckled, then turned around and walked back to the dining room with a small wave of his hand.

Victor quickly slipped into his room and slumped down. 

‚You’re such a terrible liar, Frankenstein…‘

Even though he had managed to get rid of Impey, Victor was fully aware of the fact that he wouldn’t be able to avoid him or the others forever. But how was he going to face them? What was he going to say were they to ask him whether or not he was successful in bringing relief to Cardia’s condition?

Flat out tell them that he pretty quickly substituted the device the Count had obtained for his own manhood? He would have rather cut his own tongue off.

He knew that the others would not ask Cardia any uncomfortable questions, as they themselves were still embarrassed by the very thought of anything sexual regarding her. He also knew that Impey would bring breakfast to Cardia’s room and leave it on her doorstep, since that was what he had been doing for the past couple of weeks now. In her state, she had been unable join the others as she had been sleeping in most of the time.

‚I just keep on messing up, whatever I do…‘ Victor sighed. 

Breakfast time came and went. Victor started to get itchy feet. He indeed wanted to further his research, like he had told Impey. But the books in his room were hardly sufficient. He needed literature from the Count’s library, which he had generously been allowed to use.

But walking out of his room meant being in danger of meeting Van Helsing and Lupin and both of them were way faster to catch up on anything suspicious going on in comparison to Impey. Victor sighed and was about to accept that he’d have to live in his room for the foreseeable future when he remembered that there was a shortcut to the library Saint-Germain had shown him not too long ago.

Carefully, he cracked the door open just a little to look out into the hallway and make sure the coast was clear. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw that none of the guys were around and quickly snuck out. Victor rounded the corner, then entered the small storeroom that had a connecting backdoor leading right into the library.

Perfect.

As quickly as possible, he searched for what he needed and returned from Saint-Germain’s extensive library via the same way, a couple of thick, leather-bound volumes on alchemy in his arms.

Just as he was about to pass their benefactor’s study, the door opened with a creak, startling him.

„Dr. Frankenstein! So I was right in assuming those footsteps belong to you!“ Saint-Germain stood in the doorway, smiling gently as always. „I’ve been meaning to talk to you. Do you have a moment? There is something I want to ask you.“ 

Like a deer in the headlights, Victor stared at the Count. There was no escaping now. Slowly, he nodded and followed him inside.

„Please, take a seat“ Saint-Germain gestured to the chair facing his desk. It looked like the set-up to an interrogation to Victor. But maybe that was just his guilty conscience screaming in the back of his mind. Victor sat down slowly, watching carefully as the Count made his way to his own chair.

„It appears to me that you were successful in treating Cardia’s Hysteria…“ he calmly said when he was seated, his voice betraying no underlying emotion. „…VERY successful, to say the least.“ Saint-Germain stared deeply into his eyes, his facial expression one of absolute delight that seemed oddly out of place. Victor felt dread creep up his spine. 

„Wouldn’t you agree, Dr. Frankenstein?“

‚Oh god,‘ Victor thought, ‚he knows.‘

He jumped up from his seat and immediately began apologizing profusely.

„I am so sorry, I don’t know what came over me, I was starting to treat her and then it just happened, I lost completely control and there is no way I can ever make up for this terrible loss of composure…“ Saint-Germain kept on watching him, the look on his face unchanged, which seemed to spike Victor’s panic even more. Eventually, he spoke.

„Dear Dr. Frankenstein, please stop apologizing. There’s nothing you have to fear. At the end of the day, the most important thing is that our dear Cardia is feeling better. Isn’t that why we decided to have you treat her in the first place?“ Saint-Germain got up from his seat and walked around the desk. Amicably, he put his hand on Victor’s shoulder in an attempt to make him feel more at ease, but Victor’s heart was still pounding in his chest.

„H-how did you find out?“ Victor stammered, blushing furiously.

Saint-Germain was still smiling kindly as he cocked his head in contemplation.

„Well, let’s just say that I have… a very fine sense of hearing.“

Victor found this ‚explanation’ highly confusing and unsatisfactory, but he knew better than to probe the Count for more information. Besides, he still felt like dying on the spot.

„Tell me just one thing… What was it like?“ Saint-Germain asked, his voice calm and smooth. 

The question was simple, almost inconspicuous. Victor was totally dumbfounded.

„W-what do you mean?“

The Count leaned forward, his face dangerously close to the young alchemist’s. 

„What was it like seeing Cardia like that? Watching her body awaken to desires that she didn’t even know existed within her. Seeing her react to the fire of passion setting each and every fiber of her being ablaze and being the one able to extinguish it?“

Scary. 

That man was utterly, utterly scary. The way his icy blue eyes stared into his very own felt downright like Victor was being stripped naked, everything laid bare before him, nothing secret, nothing sacred.

A cold shiver ran down his spine. 

„I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be pestering you with such questions. I guess my curiosity just… got the best of me. Please forgive me.“ Saint-Germain suddenly said and laughed. It was like he had been a totally different person for a moment. 

Victor was still stating at him in confusion.

‚What was that just now?‘ he wondered.

~**~

Meanwhile, down the hall, Cardia finally woke from her deep, relaxing slumber. She stretched herself out on her king-sized bed and yawned. Already, that morning was different. It had been a while since she had last slept through a whole night and felt well-rested.

Cardia started humming to herself as she swung her legs to the side of the bed and got up. She walked over to her closet to change from her frilly dress into her everyday clothes that Victor had especially made for her, which were definitely more comfortable.

‚I wonder where Victor went…‘ she mused. ‚He’s probably already having breakfast with the others…‘

When she was dressed, she left her room to make her way to the dining room.

„Cardia!“

She smiled when she saw Impey walking towards her, being in a good mood as always.

„Impey! Good morning!“ she greeted him and they both came to a halt in the middle of the hallway.

„You look great, Cardia! Have you finally gotten some sleep?“

„Yes, I did! And it’s all thanks to Victor!“

Impey laughed nervously.

„Haha, yeah, it’s all thanks to him and the device he had brought just for you. Who would have thought that such a little thing could make such a difference?“

Cardia looked puzzled for a moment.

„The device? Oh, yes, Victor used that on me, but only for a short while. Then we started having… what did some of Saint-Germain’s books call it again? Right, ‚sexual intercourse‘! And it proved to be far more helpful and efficient!“

It was like someone had stopped time. At least that was what it felt like to Impey. He couldn’t believe what he’d just heard.

„W-what did you just say, Cardia?“ he said, his voice low and horror-stricken.

„Is there something wrong, Impey?“ 

Suddenly, Impey grabbed her shoulders and nearly started shaking her.

„Tell me, Cardia! Is it true what you just said?! Did you and Victor really…?!“

„Y-yes we did…? What’s wrong, Impey? Impey…?!“

Without losing another word, Impey took her hand and stormed down the hallway, Cardia in tow.

~**~

Back in his study, Saint-Germain and Victor were still talking.

„Count… I was wondering…“

„Yes?“

„How should I tell the others? I’m afraid that… they wouldn’t take too kindly to me doing… these improper things with Cardia…“

Just as Saint-Germain was about to reply, both men heard a very familiar voice shouting very unfamiliar profanities.

„VICTOR FRANKENSTEIN, YOU FIEND! YOU MONSTER! SHOW YOURSELF!“

Mere moments later, Impey basically burst through the door, behind him a very frightened Cardia. Panic seized Victor’s heart in an ice-cold grasp and he felt the overwhelming urge to run.

He took a few hasty steps back and fell backwards on the chair behind him.

„How dare you do such a terrible thing to our lovely, innocent Cardia?!“ he shouted as he came closer, looming over Victor who looked up at him in terror.

„You sullied her, you MONSTER!“ Impey was beside himself with rage, his nostrils flared, eyes wide open.

„Impey, please! What are you doing?! He hasn’t done anything!“ Cardia cried, but the red-haired mechanic completely ignored her.

„What the hell is going on here?!“ a familiar voice interrupted the mayhem in the study. „Impey, what is it now, why are you causing such a ruckus?“

Everyone turned around to the sight of Arsene Lupin with an unnerved facial expression and Abraham Van Helsing a couple of steps behind him, looking slightly alarmed, one hand reflexively on his gun.

Amazing. That was exactly what Victor needed. So much for keeping it a secret from the others.

„Why? I can gladly tell you why! Our ‚dear friend‘, Victor Frankenstein over here… defiled Cardia!“

„What the hell do you mean?“ 

„He… he… he had sexual intercourse with her.“

Victor felt like his temperature rise and panic surge in his stomach as Lupin and Van Helsing looked at him, aghast. 

„You… you did WHAT, Fran?“ Van Helsing’s voice was piercing. „Have you completely lost your mind?“

„We trusted you, Victor!“ Impey whined.

Saint-Germain watched the entire thing unfold before his eyes with his usual serenity and amusement, as if this was merely a play. 

„Guys, please stop! This is not Victor’s fault!“ Cardia cried as she leapt in between Victor and Impey, Lupin and Van Helsing, her arms extended as if to protect the young alchemist.

„What do you mean, ‚it’s not his fault‘, Cardia? You don’t know what you’re talking about!“ Impey responded, still looking like he was about to kill Victor.

„I mean… it was actually because of me that this happened.“ she answered. Before the others could say something, she continued.

„I was in this strange, confusing and scary state for weeks. I didn’t even know what could be wrong with me, so I was absolutely delighted to see that Victor found out he could help me. He was behaving in such a respectful and considerate way, truly like a gentleman. He had nothing bad in mind. But… what I started to feel wasn’t bad or scary at all! It was actually… such a nice, delightful sensation. And I thought to myself… ‚How can something like this can be seen as something shameful? To be hidden from everyone else?‘ In that very moment, it felt wonderful. Liberating. Just… the most amazing feeling of all. And I wanted to share it with him in that very moment. Is that such a terrible thing in your eyes?“

Silence fell over the room, every single one of them, with the exception of Saint-Germain and Victor, who could only watch all of it unfold in surprise, embarrassed, their gazes wandering from the floor to each other, then back down again.

„Now, now, let’s not make a drama out of all of this, shall we?“ Saint-Germain finally said, still calm and friendly, as he stepped forward.

„Cardia told us just now that whatever happened between her and Victor was consensual. That is what’s important. Let’s not waste time with pointing fingers and getting upset.“

„I agree with Saint-Germain.“

„B-But, Lupin…!“ Impey started, but stopped when Lupin gave a stern look.

„No ‚buts‘, Impey. I understand that you’re upset about it, but there’s no use. What’s done is done. As long as Cardia is fine with it, who are we to say how she’s supposed to feel?“

Impey fell silent at that, still visibly upset, but in no mood to fight it anymore. He left the room in a huff after mumbling something about having to fix his Ornithopter. It would probably take a while until he could get over it, considering that he had been harboring feelings for Cardia ever since he met her.

Van Helsing had been silent all through the ordeal, watching the scene unfold with his fingers on his weapon the entire time. After Impey had left, Lupin turned to look at him and noticed that his brows were furrowed, the grip on his gun perhaps a bit too tight and completely lost in thought. 

„Helsing…? Are you alright?“ he asked, pulling him out of it.

„Huh? Oh… sure, I’m alright.“ he answered, then hesitated as if he wanted to say something more. He looked at Cardia for a moment with a strange intensity in his gaze, then he looked back at Lupin. „If you’ll excuse me…“ 

He shot Cardia another look, then turned on his heel and strode out of the room. 

„I-I think I will return to my room as well…“ Victor stuttered, finally getting up from the awkward position he had been in. He adjusted his glasses and glanced shyly at Lupin, who smiled at him sympathetically and nodded.

When he, too, had left, Lupin sighed. „My, my, what a chaos.“ He looked at Cardia and gently put his hands on her shoulders.

„Is what happened between you and Victor really… okay with you? I just want to make sure you weren’t lying to protect him in front of us.“

Cardia was quick to shake her head. „I swear on my life, Lupin. Everything that happened was out of free will. There was no force or persuasion involved. Please, don’t hold it against Victor.“ she said.

„That’s good to hear. I didn’t think that Victor was able to do something terrible to you anyway, but I just wanted to make sure. Well then… I guess it’s my cue to leave, too.“ he answered, briefly tipped the rim of his top hat and winked at her before going.

Eventually, Cardia and Saint-Germain were all by themselves in the Count’s study.

„I…I never intended for this to bring so much grief and anger over Victor…“ Cardia said sadly, hands folded, eyes downcast.

„I know, Cardia. You have to understand though, that sexual matters, let alone sexual matters pertaining to you are… indeed very delicate for them. It was and still is quite difficult for them to talk about it. After all, we’re living in a time where it is still seen as something sinful.“ Saint-Germain mused, taking a tentative step forward, which drew Cardia’s gaze to him. „And you also have to consider that they’re all trying to protect you. That’s what’s causing them to take such matters seriously.“ 

He chuckled, then continued. 

„Oh well, it’s not just your protection that’s causing them so much confusion and hurt…“

Cardia looked at him in confusion.

„What do you mean by that, Saint-Germain?“

„…you’ll understand soon enough, my dear Cardia.“

„Oh… I see.“ she answered, disappointed by the Count’s reply.

Saint-Germain took another step, now standing awfully close to the young girl and she looked up at him. His right hand moved towards her cheek and he gently stroked it with the back of his fingers.

„You shouldn’t feel bad about your current state and all of those conflicting emotions within you. Don’t feel like they’re a sin, or causing people pain. It’s not your fault. All of it is… well, very complicated.“

Cardia eventually smiled.

„Thank you, Saint-Germain. I really appreciate it.“

„I’m not just saying it like that. I mean it. And if you ever feel like you need me… to listen or just to be there for you, you can come to me. Any time. That is a promise.“ 

Still somewhat in a state of unrest over what had transpired, Cardia left Saint-Germain’s study and walked back to her room. She didn’t intend to be the cause of so much grief. Surely the others would eventually stop fighting and be their usual, happy selves in no time. There was no need to worry. 

Or so the young girl thought, trying to ignore the nagging voice in the back of her mind that spoke a very different language.

~**~

The hands of the clock on her nightstand had barely passed 4 a.m. when Cardia woke from her fitful sleep and stirred in her bed. 

It was hot.

So unbearably hot. 

She threw the heavy covers off of her as she panted heavily.

‚This isn’t good…‘ she thought to herself. She got up and went over the window, opening it wide, hoping that the cool air outside would help her. Indeed, there was a gentle, cool breeze outside that wafted into the room, but it wasn’t enough by a long shot.

Cardia started pacing in her room, her heartbeat fast, the beads of sweat on her skin seemingly multiplying instead of reducing. She laid back down, but she felt way too agitated, so she started tossing and turning, from one side to the other, until she sat back up again, frustrated.

Then she felt an all too familiar, pulsing between her legs and groaned.

‚Oh no… not again…‘

Cardia got up again, now in somewhat of a panic, and went to the door. She had to get out of that room and take her mind off of the nagging voice in her head that begged for release from this agony.

The young girl left, trying to make as little noise as possible while opening the door as not to disturb the others. Briskly, she went down the hallway, with no particular destination in mind.   
Cardia passed Impey’s room, then Van Helsing’s. She rounded corner after corner, her footsteps soft on the carpet floor. She had seen the mansion dipped in darkness so many times before, it had lost all of its initial eeriness. 

‚Where should I go…‘ she thought, desperate.

Then she remembered.

Hadn’t Saint-Germain told her she could come to him? Cardia wasn’t sure if what he had said encompassed that, too, but there was only one way to find out, really.

Her footsteps slowed and she made her way to Saint-Germain’s chamber. 

She, like the others, knew where Saint-Germain slept, but not one of them had ever set foot there. There was no need for it, since the Count spent his time mostly in his study and only ever welcomed guests there.

When she reached the Count’s room, Cardia came to a halt. Her hand reached out to the doorknob, but stopped in mid-air.

What if he was fast asleep? What if she was intruding upon him? What if she would essentially disturb his slumber?

She hesitated. 

‚Haven’t I brought enough grief on Victor already? Maybe I should just return to my room…‘

Just as she was about to give in to her thoughts and do so, she heard the door open with a small creak. Before her stood Saint-Germain in a dark blue, silken dressing gown, looking at her with a gaze that was filled with affection.

„Cardia…“ he said, his voice barely above a whisper. „I knew you’d come…“ 

He opened the door further and reached out to her, the gesture warm and inviting.

Cardia could only look at him in surprise. 

Saint-Germain had been awaiting her?

Still a bit hesitant, Cardia put her hand in his and let him lead her into his chamber. As he closed the door softly behind him, Cardia let her gaze wander. The room wasn’t much larger or different than her own, but the canopy bed by the wall was more lavish, the posts higher, the pattern of the fabric used for the bed sheets more elaborate and expensive looking.

Eventually, Cardia turned to Saint-Germain, who had watched her patiently.

„Saint-Germain… I’m so sorry to intrude upon you this late at night. It’s just that I-„ Cardia started, but he interrupted her.

„Cardia, please. There’s no need to apologize. I told you you could come to me at any time and I meant it. Besides… I know why you’re here.“ 

He looked deeply into her eyes while lifting his free hand and ran his fingers through her hair. Cardia leaned into the touch, desperate for contact. She closed her eyes in pleasure and sighed.

Saint-Germain moved to her jawline and caressed her affectionately, watching Cardia’s expression, which was one of pure bliss. 

„Cardia…“

The young girl opened her eyes at his words.

„…do you trust me?“ 

How could he even ask? Wasn’t it completely evident that she did?

Cardia nodded slowly. 

„Of course I do. I trust you with my whole being.“

Saint-Germain let go of her hand, instead cupped her face with both palms now and leaned down to kiss her. His mouth moved silently against her own, trying to pour as much love into the act as possible. Cardia softly moaned against him, her lips parting, granting him entrance. He probed her gently at first, his tongue running against hers slowly, then more and more passionately.

They continued to kiss as Saint-Germain embraced her and moved them over to the bed. His hands moved further down, grasping Cardia’s night gown and started pulling it over her head. They both broke contact for a brief moment but resumed when the Count succeeded in removing the piece of clothing. 

Saint-Germain lowered Cardia to the mattress, savoring her taste for a final time. He hovered over her naked form for a moment, then straightened up and began untying his robe. It fell unceremoniously to the floor and Cardia realized that the Count was wearing nothing underneath it. His member was already halfway erect and pulsing.

It was apparent that he wanted and needed this just as much as Cardia.

Saint-Germain kissed her again while winding his arms around her body and carefully scooped her closer to the headboard. Then, he opened the drawer of his nightstand and produced a scarlet, silken scarf. Cardia looked at him curiously, no sign of fear or distrust in her eyes. Still, the Count asked for permission, before he proceeded.

„…Are you will to let me try something, Cardia? Even if it means surrendering yourself to me?“

She smiled and nodded.

„Go on.“

Carefully, Saint-Germain grabbed her wrists and raised her arms above her head, skillfully binding them with the scarf. He made sure that the knot wasn’t too tight, lest it might cause her pain. Cardia watched him attentively, not knowing what he was planning to do.

When he was done, he admired her, letting his gaze wander over her body, from head to toe and back again.

„Beautiful…“ he whispered.

Cardia blushed. So far, this was totally different from when she had been with Victor. While Victor had been taken over by lust in a moment of weakness, to Cardia’s surprise, Saint-Germain appeared to remain very calm and collected despite being clearly in a state of arousal too. The Count remained a mystery to her.

Saint-Germain pulled Cardia out of her thoughts when she saw him move back to settle between her legs and felt him wrap his hands around her thighs.

„Saint-Germain? What are you…“ Cardia started, but her words were cut short when the sensation of Saint-Germain’s tongue against her labia made her breath hitch in her throat. The Count started licking her agonizingly slow, alternating between feather-light touches and harder strokes that left her flesh throbbing.

Cardia writhed on the bed in pleasure, her back arching. Her legs felt incredibly weak, but Saint-Germain kept on holding them in place with a firm grip. The brunette girl nearly screamed when he gently drew her clitoris into his mouth. 

„S-Saint-Germain…!“

With a small noise, he desisted from her and looked at Cardia with fascination.

„Are you close, Cardia?“ he asked, his voice hoarse.

Cardia nodded frantically, her face begging for release just as much as her entire body. 

Saint-Germain got up from his position to kiss Cardia again, deeply. His right hand wandered back down and started stroking her, before slipping two fingers inside her. She whimpered against him as he moved in and out of her.

The fact that he took so much time to focus on her and put her pleasure first nearly overwhelmed Cardia with emotion. 

Why did he care so much for her?

Eventually, he removed his fingers and instead positioned himself at her entrance. Saint-Germain entered her slowly, bit by bit, until he was buried within her completely. He started moving almost immediately in a pace that was neither too fast nor too slow.

Cardia moaned, trying to meet his thrusts with her hips. The fact that her hands were bound and that she wasn’t able to hold on to him didn’t allow for her movements to be as vigorous as she’d hoped. The girl groaned in frustration.

„What is it, Cardia?“ Saint-Germain asked her while continuing to move in and out of her.

„M-more…“ she replied, her voice breaking when he hit a certain spot within her.

„More what? You need to tell me…“ he said and kissed her deeply before continuing „…otherwise I won’t know what you want me to do…“

„I… I want to feel you more…“ Cardia whimpered, throwing her head to the side „…deeper…“ 

Saint-Germain thrust into her one more time before sliding his arms underneath Cardia’s shoulders and pulled her up with him. All of a sudden the young girl found herself sitting in the Count’s lap, now feeling him more intensely as he was still sheathed within her. He carefully took her bound arms and moved them behind his neck so Cardia would be able to support herself.

The sensation was totally different from before, Cardia realized, the shift in position causing her delicate flesh to rub against Saint-Germain’s skin. It was almost too overwhelming.

Instinctively, Cardia started to roll her hips in order to heighten the friction and moaned softly as she threw her head back. 

Saint-Germain kept on watching her, the palms of his hands sliding up her back.

„Move, Cardia.“ he whispered into her ear and the girl obliged.

Now being the one in control of the pace, Cardia started to move up and back down. Saint-Germain met her motions with measured thrusts and soon they had fallen into a rhythm. They would kiss each other time and again, enjoying the intimacy and closeness they shared.

With orgasm now fast approaching for Cardia, her breathing became more labored.

„Saint-Germain…“ she moaned, leaning her forehead against his. „I… love… you…“

Saint-Germain’s eyes widened for a split-second, then he uttered a strangled groan as Cardia’s words finally drove him over the edge. Eyes closed and lips slightly parted, Saint-Germain’s facial expression was one of pure bliss. Captivated by the sight of how lust had made him lose control over his usually calm and collected expression and demeanor, Cardia couldn’t help but soak up each and every second of that very moment. 

The young girl continued to move her hips, savoring the feeling of being the cause of the Count’s pleasure. Not too long after Saint-Germain, Cardia’s own orgasm washed over her like a tidal wave.

Exhausted, they both fell back, with Saint-Germain pulling Cardia on top of him. He gave her another kiss while carefully untying the scarf, then moved to gently brush his lips against Cardia’s wrists.

Cardia smiled and wrapped her arms around Saint-Germain, nuzzling against his chest.

„…I love you too, Cardia“ he whispered

While Cardia drifted off to sleep quite quickly, feeling safe in his arms, Saint-Germain stayed awake. He would be unable to sleep that night, wondering about the storm of emotions raging in his heart and the thoughts racing in his mind.

It was an undeniable fact that he had fallen in love with Cardia. And he wanted her all for himself, now more so than ever.

At the same time, he was also fully aware that he wasn’t the only one in the mansion who felt that way. Already, some of the men had started to exhibit feelings for the girl, among them jealousy, even if Cardia herself seemed to be oblivious to it.

„…this is going to be a bit of a problem…“ he muttered to himself while absentmindedly trailing his fingers through Cardia’s hair. 

At the moment, Saint-Germain had no solution for it. All he knew was that he wasn’t willing to share Cardia with anyone else. Under no circumstance.

But where exactly would those emotions lead them all?

He, no, _they_ , would find out soon enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this has been Saint-Germain's go at a night with our lovely heroine. I hope you liked it. Writing this chapter took longer than I wanted it to take, but then again, I procrastinate HARD.
> 
> In case you're wondering, I've chosen the order of guys based on the order in which I've played the routes. There's no special or particular logic to it :)
> 
> I realized I should have mentioned this in chapter 1, but I guess it does without saying that Cardia has gotten rid of the poison in her body somehow, otherwise she'd be having sex with skeletons and that is not the kind of party I've signed her up for ;)
> 
> I also left a hint in this chapter which guy is next... but who am I trying to fool, it's probably really obvious to everyone.


	3. Vampire

Pitch dark and quiet. 

That was the only thing Van Helsing’s honed senses could make out as soon as his consciousness set in. He started walking, slowly, his footsteps resounding in the seemingly endless space. 

‚Where am I?‘ he thought, feeling unafraid but on edge, his heartbeat slightly accelerated. 

Helsing kept on walking through the darkness, until, eventually, he was able to make out the faint glow of a light source in the distance. It floated gently from one side to the other, expanding and shrinking, over and over again. For a moment Helsing thought it looked quite akin to a firefly, but then it split into two parts that started to rotate around each other. As Helsing came closer, the balls of light repelled each other and flew right into two candle holders affixed to a wall, that emerged from the darkness right in front of his eyes.

The flames illuminated the room that seemingly appeared out of nowhere, unfolding like a picture that was built with thousands upon thousands of tiny puzzle pieces. A vast, bell-bottomed staircase loomed before him, a staircase that he knew all too well. Helsing felt little beads of sweat forming on his forehead and his heartbeat accelerating. He finally knew where he was.

This was King Delacroix’ castle. 

Unmistakably.

Helsing felt glued to the spot, as he heard footsteps echoing through the hall from the back of the upper level and coming closer. He wanted to run, but he couldn’t.

Out of the darkness, a small figure emerged with slow, calculated movements. When they finally reached the luxurious banister, Helsing could see the person illuminated by the soft light of the candles. 

„Finis!“ he spat out, gritting his teeth.

„Van Helsing! It’s so lovely to see you!“ he replied and spread out his arms as if to welcome him. 

Instinctively, Helsing pulled out his guns and aimed them at Finis, his fingers almost painfully cramping around the trigger. This was going to be it. This was going to be the day he would die.

But Finis showed no sign of fear. Instead, he started laughing.

„Oh but dear, dear Helsing! Do you really think I was gonna make it that easy for you?“ 

He clicked his tongue in disapproval and then snapped his fingers. Out of thin air, three people appeared on the top of the staircase right next to Finis, their hands and feet bound by iron shackles. Helsing gasped and turned pale as a ghost when he realized that the people he saw there were his mother and two younger siblings. 

„B-but… how can this be?“ he stammered.

It felt like someone had knocked all of his air out of his lungs. His guns still aimed at Finis’ general direction, the young man chuckled and walked over to Helsing’s family.

„Isn’t it nice? I thought that a little family reunion would be a lovely way to welcome you! However… there is a little catch, as you can imagine, dear Helsing… look to your feet.“

With all of the power he managed to summon in his body, Helsing slowly looked down only to see a gruesome sight.

The bodies of the entire Vampire population, along with King Delacroix, covered the floor of the castle, bloodied, some of them contorted into inhumanly possible shapes. However, they were all still alive… if only barely so.

„Helsing… I think you know what I’m about to tell you, right? If you don’t kill all the vampires laid out before you, your family will die. Hm… this sounds very familiar, doesn’t it?“ 

Finis laughed again.

Panic surged within him, but Helsing didn’t want to show any weakness. 

„Abraham… please… you don’t have to do this. Don’t worry about us! Just get yourself to safety!“ 

He heard his mother cry out to him, but fear of losing his family already had his heart in an icy grip. With a pained cry he started unloading the barrels of his guns into the incapacitated Vampires. They couldn’t even try to defend themselves. 

„How disgusting… to kill an enemy that cannot fight back… you are truly the worst, Helsing!“ Finis shouted while laughing maniacally. 

Helsing continued to shoot them until not a single survivor was left and the marble floor was coated in a deep shade of red. Even his hands and lower arms were splattered with blood of the fallen.

Finis was still cackling, the sound reverberating in the vast room. He started clapping loudly as he watched Helsing letting his guns drop.

„That was superb! Truly a magnificent display of the Queen’s Hunting Dog’s prowess! However…“ Finis said and abruptly stopped clapping. „I have to admit that I haven’t been very honest with you, Helsing… that is because…“

Finis continued, raising his hands over his head. He positioned his fingers symmetrically on the top of his skull and dug his fingers into it. With a swift movement and a strangled cry, he tore apart his skin like it was a piece of clothing and let it fall to the side.

Out of him emerged another person, taller and older, but still very familiar to Helsing, who couldn’t believe his eyes.

Before him now stood Jimmy Aleister, his former mentor and the person who betrayed his trust in the worst possible way.

„…that is because it’s actually me“

Aleister patted down his clothing, as if he tried to get any residue of Finis off of himself, then straightened himself up and smirked at Helsing, who was still glued to the spot.

„…oh don’t you just look at me like that. Is that how you greet your mentor?“

„…I don’t consider you my mentor anymore…“ Helsing replied, clenching his fists so hard his nails broke through his skin, drawing blood.

„That is truly disappointing to hear, Helsing. After all I’ve done for you…“ Aleister casually strolled over to Helsing’s family. The expression on his mother’s and sibling’s faces was one of pure fear.

„Step away from them, Aleister!“ Helsing shouted and raised his guns, aiming them directly at his former mentor’s face. „I’m warning you…“

‚Please, don’t take them away from me again…‘ Helsing thought. ‚I have experienced this once before… just why… why is this happening all over agai-‚

Then it hit him. He suddenly remembered the all too familiar feeling of this scenery. The dread, the atmosphere of deja vu… this was a nightmare. A nightmare he had had dozens of times. With this realization, Helsing started to cry. He knew how this nightmare would continue and eventually conclude.

„Aaah… emotions. Aren’t they just a beautiful thing, dear Helsing?“ Aleister said as he crouched down in front of Helsing’s mother who had her eyes wide shut and head turned away from him. The older man gently took a strand of hair in between his fingers and let it glide through them.

„It’s fascinating what bonds can do to people. How attachment to others can make one feel powerless in certain situations… I imagine quite like you’re feeling right now, am I right?“ he continued and Helsing was shaken by a sob.

„But I don’t want you to be weak, Helsing. I never wanted you to be. That’s why I became your mentor and taught you. So you could become more powerful and uncover the hidden strength lying dormant within you“ he continued. „And I did a well enough job, but… it’s not quite there yet.“

Helsing felt sick to his stomach. He knew what would come next.

„There is only way to do it, I’m afraid.“

„Please…“ Helsing whispered. „Please don’t…“

The smiled disappeared from Aleister’s face. Instead, he looked almost bored as he raised his arm, the palm of his hand flat, fingers pressed together. With a whooshing sound, his arm shot forward, the noise almost drowned out in Helsing’s strangled cry that broke from his lips.

„NOOOOO!“ he screamed as Aleister’s arm pierced through not only his mother’s chest, but also through the chests of his siblings behind her. 

With a disgustingly wet sound, Aleister pulled his arm back out, the bodies of Helsing’s family collapsing and falling to the floor like puppets that had their strings cut. Blood gushed forth from the gaping holes in their chests in huge quantity, flowing down the staircase and through the railing of the balustrade like a waterfall.

„I did this for you, Helsing!“ Aleister shouted over the rushing sound. „I got rid of your unnecessary attachments! Now you can truly become stronger, like you are supposed to!“

The gush of blood finally reached Helsing’s feet and he stumbled back in panic.

„Don’t you forget it, Helsing! Attachments make you weak!“ Aleister continued.

His voice pierced through Helsing’s skull, pounding and reverberating in his head over and over and over until the blond man finally broke down. He sank to his knees as the liquid soaked into his clothes, the smell making him sick. His vision became blurry, the hall starting to spin in front of his eyes, colors and shapes blending into each other. Then the floor dissolved underneath him and he felt himself falling into the darkness

down…

down…

down…

…until Helsing woke up screaming, drenched in sweat and reality claimed him again. His heart pounded in his chest and breathing was difficult for the first couple of moments, his consciousness trying to focus and make sense of its surroundings. Eventually, he realized that it was over, that it had been another nightmare in the endless row of nightmares he’s had every single night that dealt with the horrible things Jimmy Aleister did to him. He was back in his room in Saint-Germain’s mansion, that lay before him in darkness.

For the moment though, he had no energy to feel anger. He just felt empty and drained. Helsing considered turning around to try and fall back asleep, but he knew it would be to no avail. Sleep had become a scarce luxury for him anyway.  
Instead, he turned to the side to reach for his glasses on the nightstand beside his bed and got up. He walked over to the window and pulled the heavy curtains aside. The sun had already risen, but Helsing could see it was still early in the morning. A breeze rolled into the room when he opened the windows and the bird outside were softly chirping. It would have been such a lovely sight, had he not been tormented by the nightmare just a while earlier.

He took his time to dress himself, feeling no particular hurry. When he was nearly done, he stood in front of his dresser and looked at his guns. For a moment he considered not putting them into his holster but quickly cast that thought aside. It seemed sort of paradox, but he always felt naked without them.

As he left his room and walked down the hallway, he noticed that the others were apparently still fast asleep. Walking down the stairs in the main hall he wondered if he should go to the kitchen and start making breakfast to keep himself busy, but his trail of thought was interrupted when there was a knock on the front door.

Upon opening, he was met with a very familiar, but unexpected, face. Before him stood the Captain of the Royal Guard of Her Highness Queen Victoria, Rempart Leonhardt.

„Leonhardt? What are you doing here this early in the morning?“

„Oh, Helsing… I didn’t expect you to be the one to open the door for me. But that’s actually perfect, since you are the one I wanted to talk to.“ he answered, his posture straight and stiff as always.

„What is it?“

„…we have news concerning the whereabouts of Jimmy Aleister.“

Immediately the rage Helsing had felt during the nightmare came rushing back and flooded his entire body.

„What?! Are you sure?!“ Helsing asked, gripping the doorknob perhaps a bit too tightly.

„Positive. He was seen by my men around midnight in the outskirts East of London, meeting up with a group of pretty shady guys. They have tailed him for a while, but were unable to find out who exactly the other men were or what exactly Aleister is planning. Unfortunately he seemed to realize he was being watched and followed quite quickly, so he was able to shake the guards off.“

Leonhardt sighed.

„I have a bad feeling about this, Helsing. First he disappears for a couple of months and then he turns up back in town all of a sudden? Just be careful. You and the others. I worry especially about Miss Cardia.“

„…thank you, Leonhardt. I really appreciate it.“ Helsing said, quietly. 

„You’re most welcome. Just let me know if you need any assistance. I’d be glad to help.“ Leonhardt answered, gave him a curt nod, then turned around on his heel and walked off.

Helsing watched him until he turned the corner and vanished from his field of vision, then he slowly walked back inside and closed the door.

‚This is bad‘ he thought. ‚If Aleister is back in London and has been able to evade the royal guards thus far, who knows what else he might be doing… I need to speak with Saint-Germain immediately!‘

Helsing climbed the stairs back up to the first floor of the mansion and briskly walked past the rooms of the others to Saint-Germain’s bedroom. With the back of his hand, he knocked against it three times, not too loud, but loud enough for Saint-Germain to hear. It took a couple of moments before the door was opened and the Count stood before him, clad in a dark blue nightgown. Upon seeing Helsing’s grim expression, he looked at him with surprise and slight worry.

„Helsing? What brings you here this early in the morning? Is everything alright?“

„Rempart Leonhardt has been paying us a visit just now… it seems like Jimmy Aleister is back in London.“

Saint-Germain’s eyes widened visibly.

„What?! Is he sure about that?“

„Yes, unfortunately. His men have caught him in the act of what looked like some shady business with a bunch of unknown people. They followed him but lost him after a while.“

The Count frowned. „This is not good. That most likely means he’s still after Cardia… and you.“

„I know. That’s what I’m worried about as well. It means we have to ensure that someone is with Cardia at all times in order to keep her safe. We can’t let her go out on her own anymore, that would just put her in unnecessary danger.“

„I agree,“ Saint-Germain replied, lowering his voice. „But if possible, we should keep this from her as to not worry her too much. Let us talk to the others later on so we can inform them as well.“

Helsing nodded. 

„Thank you, Saint-Germain. That does… put me a bit more at ease. However, this also means that it’s the perfect chance to hunt this bastard down for good,“ he said, gritting his teeth.

„I’m not going to stop you, Helsing. I know full-well that this would be useless anyway. You want your revenge and rightfully so. Just… be careful in whatever you do.“

„…I will be.“

Helsing was about to return to his room when he suddenly heard a small sigh coming from inside the room. 

„…what was that?“ he asked, frowning.

„I don’t know what you mean.“ Saint-Germain replied.

„That voice just now. I’m convinced it came from inside your room.“

Just as Helsing said that, he heard it again, this time a bit louder.

„What on earth is-„ Helsing muttered under his breath and pushed the Count aside in order to see better into his room.

That’s when he saw her. 

Curled up between heavy, silken sheets and looking absolutely lovely in her sleep, lay Cardia in Saint-Germain’s bed. Helsing’s confusion didn’t last long when his gaze wandered from her sleeping form to her clothes on the carpet floor. 

Once more, anger coursed through him along with another emotion he couldn’t pinpoint. Still, it was eating away at him all the same. He was shaking with enragement, his hands clenching into fists. When he was finally able to speak, his voice was low and menacing.

„…you too, Count?“ 

Saint-Germain’s facial expression was calm, but stern.

„All I did was to alleviate her condition.“

Helsing snorted.

„‚Alleviate‘ my ass. You planned this. Was this whole scandal with Victor in your study yesterday just a scheme to get Cardia into your bed?“

„Oh please, Helsing. You’re being ridiculous.“ Saint-Germain said as he took a step forward, forcing Helsing out of his room and closed the door behind him. If there was a scene going down, Cardia didn’t need to bear witness to it.

„Give me one good reason why I shouldn’t punch you in the face right now.“

„She came to me out of her own free will, just like she did with Victor. You’re behaving as if I have bewitched her and forced her to do something against her will.“

„…to be honest, I can never be quite sure with you, Count. I have seen some strange things happen in your presence. Finis’ death at your hands comes to mind, for example.“

Helsing was still on edge, but Saint-Germain just laughed.

„You are searching for the enemy in the wrong place, Helsing. However if there is something I would have to admit, it is that I let Cardia know she could come to me whenever she felt like it and I was hoping she would do so. If you want to see that as something evil, then so be it. I will fully shoulder that responsibility.“

Helsing looked at him with a grim expression.

„That is manipulation. I think you might understand why that doesn’t sit all too well with me.“

„All I did was offer it to her. I didn’t force her to come. But she came to me all the same.“ 

Saint-Germain was quiet for a moment, then he continued, the tone of his voice haunting.

„Don’t tell me that you wouldn’t have done the same, Helsing.“

Helsing looked at him, flabbergasted.

„I can see the look on your face when Cardia is around,“ Saint-Germain continued without missing a beat. „I don’t think you haven’t realized it yourself, what with Twilight and taking revenge being on the forefront of your mind, but it’s the same look everyone else here has. It’s not just Victor or me, or Impey for that matter.“

Saint-Germain took a deep breath. 

Here’s the thing, Abraham van Helsing: What you are feeling right now… is jealousy.“

„Excuse me, but WHAT?“ Helsing sputtered. „‚Jealousy’? Are you kidding me?“

„You can try to deny it as much as you want, but the fact of the matter is that you have feelings for Cardia.“

His nails pushed into his flesh as Helsing clenched his fists even stronger, but he didn’t even feel any pain or realized that he had broken through the skin of his palms, drawing blood. He was way too furious.

„I don’t need to have this ridiculous conversation with you any longer. I’m leaving.“

Helsing stormed off, his footsteps heavy on the carpet.

Saint-Germain kept on looking after him until he had disappeared behind the corner.

„…you can’t run from the truth forever, Helsing.“

~**~

For the next couple of days, Helsing was rarely seen in the mansion. Sometimes Impey or Victor would bump into him very early in the morning, having breakfast before all the others would, then leaving before Cardia was anywhere in sight. He couldn’t bear to look her in the face after finding out about her and Saint-Germain. On top of that, the Count’s words had changed something within him. While he had only been sort of standoffish and withdrawn before, Helsing felt like he was now constantly on edge, about to burst into a fit of rage at any given moment.

It was best to keep his distance.

A short while after his argument with Saint-Germain, the Count had clued the others in to what Leonhardt had reported to them and the other men all unanimously agreed that they would keep their eyes on Cardia and not let her leave the mansion without supervision. 

Although he had remained mum about what had happened between him and Cardia and the ensuing confrontation with Helsing, it wasn’t long before someone found out about it.

Arséne Lupin had always had a keen eye and a good sense for realizing things. So when Saint-Germain started to behave oddly and Abraham van Helsing was suddenly only ever rarely in the mansion, if ever, he was quick to put two and two together. 

When a week or so had passed, he decided to pay the Count a visit. After knocking twice on his study’s door, Lupin entered.

„Please excuse my intrusion, Saint-Germain, but there’s something I need to talk to you about.“

„Lupin? What brings you here?“ The Count, who had been sitting at his desk and was apparently in the middle of paperwork, put his quill down when he saw him.

„I’m not quite sure how to start this, so I guess I should just go straight to the point. I’m sure you are aware of the fact that Helsing hasn’t been seen often in this mansion for over a week now. I know that he has been a loner before and often went out on his own, but he at least joined us for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You are still joining us but I have to admit that your behavior is… quite peculiar too.“

Saint-Germain didn’t say anything and just looked at Lupin with a gaze that betrayed no emotion.

„I’ve seen how you used to behave around us and I have to say that your behavior toward Cardia has undergone quite a bit of a change.“

At that, Saint-Germain flinched ever so slightly. Jackpot.

„Please be honest with me, Count… did something happen between you and Cardia?“

After a rather long pause, Saint-Germain finally spoke.

„…there is no way to keep anything secret from the „Gentleman Thief“, now is there? But you are right in your deductions. Cardia and I… have spent a night together. Around a week ago.“

There was no surprise on Lupin’s face, no disgust, no visible feelings of anger carved into it. Perhaps there was only disappointment. He sighed deeply before replying.

„I’m perhaps also correct in assuming that Helsing found out about it and was less than happy?“

„Yes.“

„…well, that explains a lot. I have to be completely honest with you, Count. I think that this could potentially be a rather worrisome development for us. We cannot afford to have our support system break apart because of Cardia’s affliction. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not putting the blame on her, but… the fact that so far two of us have been intimate with her and others are feeling hurt and betrayed because of it… I just feel like we’re playing into Aleister’s hands. Isn’t that what he wants? To split us up and get to us when there’s no one around to back us up?“

„You are right, Lupin. To be quite honest, ever since that morning, I’ve been on edge the entire time. I never intended for Helsing to find out about it, let alone the way he did. With Aleister back in London, it was also at the worst possible moment imaginable.“ Saint-Germain was quiet for a moment, then he looked straight into Lupin’s eyes, his gaze intense. „I guess at the end of the day, I’m just a man like each and every one of you.“

Lupin chuckled. „No doubt about that one. I fully understand you, Saint-Germain. But you are the always calm, always collected leader. If you are giving in to whatever feelings you have, who’s going to guide this group of misfits any longer?“ Lupin answered and amicably put a hand on his shoulder. „Cardia is a lovely girl who doesn’t realize her own charm and the effect she has on the people around her but… how should I put it… I always felt that restraint is the true gentleman’s way.“

At that, surprise swept over Saint-Germain’s face.

„Lupin… could it be that you too…“

Saint-Germain didn’t get to finish his sentence. There was a noise outside of something falling over and someone hurrying away with quick footsteps. With his usual quick reflexes, Lupin had the door open in a matter of seconds and jumped out into the hallway. The other person however was fast as well, so he was only able to catch a glimpse of a flame-red ponytail disappearing around the next corner.

„Lupin? Was there somebody in the hallway just now?“ Saint-Germain asked from inside the study.

Lupin stepped back inside. 

„I’m afraid it’s not possible to have a talk with somebody in this mansion without anybody finding out about it,“ he answered. „…it was Impey. Don’t worry, I will talk to him eventually. At the moment we have more pressing worries though. We need to find Helsing before Aleister does. I would propose the following…“

~~**~~

Meanwhile, Abraham van Helsing was situated in one of the miserable parts of London on the other side of the town that often went unnoticed by tourists, as it was overshadowed by the pomp and glitter the city outwardly prided itself with. He had rented out a small, decrepit room that would serve as a base to achieve his goal: Hunting down Jimmy Aleister and feeding on all this pent-up rage seething within him to end him once and for all. 

He had only sporadically been back to the mansion in the past couple of weeks to sleep and to eat, but he was already contemplating relocating fully to that place in order to not let anything slide. As he was reloading bullets into the chambers of his guns, he thought about the others.

‚This is the right way to handle it. There is no need to put any of them in unnecessary danger, especially Cardia. I am going to deal with this all by myself. I will end Aleister and if it’s the last thing I do.‘

Helsing had thought about dying before. It didn’t scare him. Not anymore. Not after the death of his family and the things he had experienced. 

The bullets slid into the chambers with satisfying clink and Helsing made sure once more that the muzzle was clean so that the projectiles would not miss their intended goal. After he had checked everything, he put them in their designated holsters, got up and left.

Outside, the sun was already setting. There were still lots of people out, though not as many as there would be during the day. However, this was the time when families and workers would return home and another breed of people would pour out onto the streets. They were the people Aleister was mingling with and who Helsing hoped would lead him to him. Wearing a dark, long coat over his clothes, the large hood pulled down to slightly cover his eyes, Helsing tried to blend into the mass as best as he could. His gaze wandered from person to person, but so far, there was nothing. 

An hour passed and Helsing was about to give up when he eventually saw the glimpse of a man wearing an all-too-familiar mask, rushing into an alleyway. Helsing’s eyes widened. He was sure that that man had been a member of Twilight. Or whatever had remained from it. With quick steps he followed him, eyes fixed on the man’s back.  
The Twilight member was extremely fast, flitting around corners with a speed that Helsing had trouble keeping up with. Eventually the other man was almost the entire length of the alley ahead of him and passed the next corner. When Helsing finally passed it too, he was in a dark and dirty back alley and the Twilight member was nowhere to be seen.

‚Damn it! Have I really lost him?‘ Helsing thought, his eyes scanning the surroundings. Then he heard it. Faint footsteps coming from behind him, slowly, but menacingly. A chill crept up his spine. That wasn’t the man from before, he knew it. Those very distinctive steps belonged to someone else.

Helsing straightened his back and turned around. His memory hadn’t betrayed him. Before him stood Jimmy Aleister, clad in different garments than usual. Instead of his usual beige coat, he wore a plum-colored one. In place of his red scarf, he wore a cravat, emblazed with a large golden brooch that elaborately depicted the moon slowly engulfing the sun. The emblem seemed strangely familiar, but Helsing couldn’t quite pinpoint it.

„Aaah, Abraham. So it was really you. It’s so nice to see you again. It’s a pity though that you’re still falling for the same old tricks you fell for way back when I first taught you…“

Aleister chuckled, picked his cane up and leisurely tucked it under his arm. Behind him stood a row of Twilight soldiers, blocking the path.

„I was hoping you would eventually find me… I didn’t spend all that time sending my men out and luring that fool Leonhardt out here for nothing, you know?“

So it had really been a trap.

„Don’t think you somehow outsmarted me, Aleister. I knew full-well what you were trying to do.“

„Oh? Did you really? And you still came? Hah, that’s an impressive showcase of foolishness!“

„That wasn’t foolishness, Aleister. I have been waiting for a chance to get my hands on you. Because today is the day when you will finally die.“

With smooth movements Helsing pulled his pistols out of their holsters and aimed them at Aleister. The other man however broke into a howling laughter.

„…what’s so funny about this?“

„I’m sorry…“ Aleister gasped for air between laughs „…but this is just too funny!“ 

He was suddenly serious, his laughter gone.

„Don’t you realize what kind of situation you’re in? You’re surrounded, Helsing! I know full-well about you ability to fight multiple enemies at the same time, but I think you’re missing a larger part of the puzzle…“

Aleister clicked his fingers and after a couple of moments, there were some more footsteps in the back alley, now coming from behind Helsing. He turned around and saw about ten men clad in the same garment that Aleister was wearing, their faces covered in masks that had the same shape and design like the brooch he had seen before, with only their eyes visible, glaring bright red into the darkness.

Finally, Helsing understood what was happening, what Aleister had really been planning all this time. He hadn’t been planning on fully resurrecting Twilight. He had taken the remaining members of Twilight who had survived and stayed loyal to him and gotten in contact with Nightfall, perhaps the most dangerous underground criminal organization London has ever had. Helsing had heard rumors about Nightfall for years, never running into them himself. There had been whispers of secret experiments quite akin to Hidden Strength, that would turn men into fighting machines, but in this case it was done without putting their guinea pigs in traumatic situations. With the help of just a single, special serum and a will stronger than death, Nightfall was said to have created truly the perfect soldier, whose fighting power was to surpass those of soldiers under Hidden Strength.

„…you are working with Nightfall, Aleister? Honestly, I didn’t think you’d stoop so low…“

„Ah, it seems like you’ve figured it out. I’m proud of you. But you still look a bit too confident for my liking…“ 

Aleister strolled over to the Nightfall soldiers, who watched the whole scene unfold.

„You have no idea what these men can do. I’ve seen them in action. I’ve seen them do terrifying things, ripping apart enemies in seconds.“

Aleister stopped before them and turned around, pushing his cane firmly into the ground and leaning on it.

„The one who will die today… is you, dear Helsing.“ Aleister paused for a moment, then gave the order. 

„Get him.“

Before he could properly process what was happening, the first soldier lunged at him. Helsing barely managed to evade him in time, but he could tell that it perhaps had been nothing but pure luck. Without giving him a break, the soldier pulled out a dagger and struck out, slashing his chest. Helsing gave a small cry and stumbled back, quickly shielding his face by lifting his arms. The next strike struck his pistols with a screeching noise and Helsing mustered up as much power as he could to push the man away.

The rumors had been true. Compared to Hidden Strength, there was no confusion, no uncertainty in the movements. Everything was calculated and precise, the power unlike anything Helsing had ever encountered. Eventually he managed to push the man off, but had to duck just a split second later when another soldier aimed a punch at him. As quickly as he could, he directed his pistols at the men, firing off a round of shells. They seemed to do nothing however, hitting them and falling to the floor without doing any damage.

The first soldier came at him again, but before Helsing could react, the other had already moved behind him and caught his arms. Painfully, he twisted them back and held them in place.

Helsing cried out, his fists opening and pistols dropping to the ground. Just a mere second later, a fist connected with his stomach, causing him to double over. He coughed, spitting up blood.

„Well, what’s with the famed noble hunting dog? Seems like nothing more than a little puppy today…“ Aleister said in amusement while walking up to Helsing. The soldier who had punched him earlier stepped aside and let the older man approach Helsing. He kneeled down before him.

„I told you that you underestimated me. You thought you could do this all by yourself and look what is has gotten you. This will be your grave, dear Helsing.“

He moved closer so that his mouth was right beside the blond man’s ear.

„And after I have finished you, I will get your friends… one after the other. And your lovely little doll… what was her name? Oh right, Cardia. I will make sure that her death will mirror yours: Slow and agonizing…“

Helsing grunted, unable to form a sentence as all of his air seemed to have been knocked out of him. He wanted to shout at him, to tell him to keep his filthy fingers off of her, but no words would come out. 

Aleister got up, his facial expression now utterly bored and uninterested. He turned his back on Helsing and walked toward the group of Twilight soldiers that made way for him. 

„My work here is done. Make sure you take care of him“

Aleister didn’t bother looking back. He just walked along the alleyway, Twilight soldiers closing up the path behind him and following him like a group of personal bodyguards.

The grip on Helsing’s arms intensified. He could feel that they were about to break, the pain almost driving him insane. The masked man who had attacked him before approached him again and grabbed his hair, pulling him forward, then a fist connected with his right cheek, causing Helsing to give a yelp. Just a split second later, a foot connected with his stomach again.

That was it. Helsing was fully aware that he had no chance of getting out of that situation all by himself. He had severely underestimated Aleister and now he had the price to pay for it. He thought of his family and how their deaths would have now completely been in vain, as he couldn’t avenge them. What filled him more with dread though at that moment was the thought of the others being in danger and him not being able to at least warn them. 

The Nightfall soldier now pulled out another, larger knife from a holster hidden underneath his cloak. Gripping it tightly, he pulled back, then pushed forward, ramming it into his abdomen. 

No sound escaped Helsing when the blade connected with his flesh, except for a small gasp. Pain was instant and excruciating, unlike anything he had ever felt before. His attacker snorted in amusement and quickly pulled the blade back out. Blood gushed out of the wound and Helsing fell limp in the soldier’s grip. Without a reason to keep his arms pinned back, the soldier let go of him and Helsing fell, face forward, to the cobblestone ground.

Helsing felt all the energy draining from his body, as if it was flooding out along with his blood. Black dots started to dance in front of his eyes.

‚Cardia…‘ he thought. ‚I have been such a fool. If only I could see your face one more time…‘

His field of vision shrank with each and every passing moment, his consciousness fading slowly. Through the fog, he could see the Nightfall soldiers get up and start to walk away. Merely the blink of an eye later, Helsing saw a shadow flitting by. 

‚Huh…?‘

Though everything was hazy, Helsing was still able to see the shadow strike down one of the soldiers, then slowly approaching the second one. Sounds of first surprise then anger could be heard, the soldiers clearly seeing the shadowed figure as a threat. When the second soldier was struck down almost as quickly too, panic seemed to break out among the soldiers, as the sound of outcries and people running away from him permeated the area. Just in what seemed like a few moments later, the Nightfall soldiers were gone.

The shadowed figure breathed in deeply and sighed, putting away whatever weapon it had used to attack the men with. It turned around and walked toward Helsing, who was barely hanging on to consciousness. Strangely, he didn’t feel any fear.

„…I’m sorry I couldn’t be here sooner, but I’m glad I made it in time. You’re safe now.“

As if he had waited for those words, Helsing finally relaxed and succumbed to unconsciousness.

~~**~~

When Helsing eventually came to again, he found himself in different surroundings. Blinking away the drowsiness slowly, he realized that he was in a soft, warm bed instead of on the cold, hard ground of the streets of London. Without his glasses though, he wasn’t able to make out much.

He tried extending his arm to the side to feel around for them, but stopped mid-air when he felt a stinging in his side. Despite the discomfort, he strained himself and eventually felt them on his nightstand. After putting them on, he was able to take more of his environment in and quickly recognized that he was in his room back in Saint-Germain’s mansion.

He gripped the edge of the sheets that covered him and slowly lifted them up to reveal that his bare chest and torso were wrapped in bandages. From the waist down, he was dressed in white long cotton undergarments. Helsing let the blanket fall back on him and his head fall back into the pillows. 

Without knocking, the door opened and Victor stepped in the room, his eyes widening in surprise when he saw Helsing being awake.

„Helsing! You’re finally awake! Oh I’m so glad!“ he exclaimed, approaching his bed with fast steps.

„‚Finally’? How long… have I been unconscious?“ Helsing replied weakly, his voice raspy.

„…for around 14 days.“

Helsing looked at him incredulously.

„I know what you must be thinking, but you were injured quite seriously. It was pure luck that Saint-Germain found you and was able to intervene at the right moment.“

‚Saint-Germain, huh?‘ Now Helsing finally knew who that mysterious person was who managed to slay two Nightfall soldiers by himself. He wondered where that strength came from, when he had been barely able to defend himself.

„W-where are… the others…?“ 

He had trouble getting the words out, his throat being extremely parched.

„They’re here in the mansion. That’s right, I almost forgot! I have to tell them you’re awake!“ 

Victor rushed out before Helsing could stop him (not that he would have had the energy to stop him) and soon everyone was by his bedside. Impey was crying and had to be held back by Lupin before he could take Helsing into a crushing hug that surely wouldn’t have been very beneficial to his healing. Lupin looked relieved and told him that he was glad to have him back in one piece. Victor on the other hand filled him in on the details of how he had been given emergency treatment by the royal doctor, who they had managed to contact through Leonhardt. Saint-Germain seemed to hold no grudges and was the one who eventually made them all leave by telling them that they shouldn’t overwhelm him that much.

The only one who was missing, was Cardia. Where was she?

When the others had left, Saint-Germain remained in the room. After closing the door, he approached Helsing and sat down beside him.

„Surely you are wondering what happened?“ he asked and Helsing nodded weakly.

„I’m going to make it short, since I can see that you need some more sleep. Lupin and I had been extremely worried about you, since you were out on your own and we knew of the danger that Aleister posed. It was quite difficult tracking you down because… well, you’re really good at covering up your traces.“

„So… how did you… find me?“

Saint-Germain hesitated for a second.

„…let’s just say I had an informant.“

Helsing wasn’t happy with that answer, but he was too weak to press the matter further.

„But really… who would have thought that Aleister was getting involved with Nightfall?“ Saint-Germain’s features darkened. There is no way we can take them on all by ourselves. We need to work as a team. That being said… please don’t just run off on your own again, Helsing. I know why you did it and… I honestly apologize for causing you so much trouble. I did not intend to have things end up the way they did between us. It’s just that… it would be terrible to lose a companion that way. I am, no, we all are, extremely happy to have you back with us alive.“

„Thank you, Saint-Germain, but the fact of the matter is that I got myself into this situation. I clearly underestimated Aleister. I thought that my strength would be enough to deal with him and the soldiers of Twilight. Had I known that Nightfall was involved with him too… I was stubborn and careless. I’m sorry for causing you all so much trouble.“

Saint-Germain looked mildly surprised for a moment, then he smiled.

„No hard feelings on our side, Helsing. We’re going to make new plans when you’re feeling better.“ 

The Count got up, made his way to the door, put his hand on the knob and had cracked it open, when Helsing stopped him.

„Saint-Germain… there’s one more thing I want to ask you.“

„Yes?“ he replied as he looked over his shoulder.

„Where is Cardia? Is everything alright with her? I haven’t seen her so far, so I was wondering…“

Saint-Germain hesitated for a moment, then he closed the door, turned around approached Helsing’s bedside again.

„Cardia is alright. She’s in the mansion, but… well, the whole ordeal was very upsetting for her.“

„What do you mean by that?“

„Dear Helsing, if I am not mistaken in my judgment, Cardia would rather express her feelings herself, rather than have a third party talk about them. In the meantime, please focus on fully recovering. Everything else will fall into place.“

With that he curtly nodded and left the room, leaving Helsing to wonder what exactly had been going on in the time he was out. However, fatigue was already pulling at every fiber of his being again and he decided to follow Saint-Germain’s advice and get some more rest. As soon as his head touched the pillow and his eyes were closed, he already drifted off to sleep again.

~~**~~

The first thing Helsing noticed when he came to again was the distinct sensation of someone holding his hand, gently stroking his knuckles with their thumb, while dabbing his forehead with something cool and damp. It felt pleasant and soothing and he tried to remember the last time he had felt so comfortable.

He slowly opened his eyes and saw none other than Cardia sitting by his bedside, taking care of him and caressing his digits ever so gently. She didn’t immediately realize that Helsing was awake again, as she was turned away from him to soak the cloth in cold water. When she turned back however and looked right into his blue eyes, hers widened in shock. Cardia let go of his hand, dropped the cloth and got up hastily, attempting to leave the room.

But Helsing was faster. 

He grabbed her by the wrist, nearly causing her to stumble.

„Cardia, wait! Why are you trying to run away?“ he asked, slightly hurt by her odd behavior. When she didn’t turn to look at him, he continued. „…talk to me, Cardia. What’s wrong?“

For a moment, Cardia stood absolutely still, then her whole frame started to shake like a leaf.

„…I am trying so hard right now not to slap you,“ she eventually said, he voice as tremulous as her body. She turned around quickly and suddenly, yanking her arm away from him. Being able to properly look her in the face, he could see that tears were pooling in her eyes, in danger of spilling over at any given moment. Cardia’s brows were furrowed in anger, her lips pressed together into a fine line.

Helsing was stunned into silence.

„How could you do such a thing? How could you get yourself in danger and worry us like that? Do you not care for your friends? Do you not care how we would feel? How I would feel…?!“

Without even letting Helsing gather his thoughts, she continued.

„I was worried sick about you. You were gone for weeks without sending any word regarding your whereabouts or your condition. Everyone wanted to go and search for you, but Saint-Germain wouldn’t have it. He told us that he would do it himself and that he would find and bring you back. Bringing you back he did… but he brought you back close to death!“

Helsing flinched slightly at that.

„I cannot begin to tell you how I felt. I was consumed by the dread that I would never be able to see you again… I don’t think you have any idea how dire your situation was. Leonhardt was able to get the Queen’s royal physician to come and give you emergency treatment, but you had lost so much blood that you were in need of a blood transfusion and no one else in the mansion shared your blood type… except for Delly.“

Finally, emotion overwhelmed Cardia and she started crying.

„I was so desperate that I begged him to save your life. I begged him to put aside any hard feelings he might have for you and do it for me. I couldn’t bear to lose you…“

Cardia hugged herself, turning her face away from him. Her tears were flowing freely now and Helsing felt the overwhelming urge to comfort her. 

„Cardia… come here,“ he said, patting the spot next to him on the mattress. With slow steps, the girl came closer and sat down. Helsing reached up, taking a strand of her hair between his fingers, threading through it gently. 

„I am honestly sorry for worrying you. I did not intend to try and get myself nearly killed. I thought that… I thought that Aleister was merely getting Twilight back together and I felt like I would be more than enough to deal with that.“

His voice was low as he spoke and Cardia listened intently, snuffling now and then.

„And I guess that my enragement kind of… fueled it and made me blind to any hazard beyond that,“ he added, causing Cardia to furrow her brows in confusion.

„Your… enragement? About what?“

Helsing fell silent, averting his gaze from her. Eventually he took a deep breath and looked back into her eyes.

„Back when Leonhardt came to the mansion to inform us of Aleister’s whereabouts and plans, I went to Saint-Germain to tell him… and I saw you. In his bed…“

Cardia gasped so softly that it was almost inaudible. 

„I was just so… so angry. It had happened again, that one of us had exploited your condition, using you like a thing made for their own amusement… it made me feel sick.“

Helsing was too caught up in remembering the scene, staring at a spot somewhere in the distance and his feelings of rage bubbling back up to the surface, to notice Cardia’s reaction.

„W-wait a moment. You think that I was being manipulated by the others? By Victor and Saint-Germain? That I had no say in all of this?“ 

That got Helsing’s attention. 

He jerked his head up, his eyes widening in surprise as he realized that Cardia was clearly fuming.

She looked really close to hitting him now.

„I can’t believe what I’m hearing, Abraham van Helsing.“

The way she said his name and his full name at that really felt like a slap to the face. It was as if she was putting up an invisible barrier between them.

„Do you honestly think so low of the others? And do you think I’m nothing more than a mousy, innocent little girl, who has to be protected from the big, bad men who seek nothing more than to hurt her? Let me tell you one thing: Everything that happened, was out of my own volition. No one forced me to do anything and I was certainly not manipulated by anyone for that matter. Do you think that just because I’m afflicted with that condition that I am nothing more than a puppet? I might have been created as one, but I definitely do not act and feel that way!“

While Helsing had been flabbergasted by her outbreak at first, now, his usual stubbornness was brought out by Cardia’s stinging words of accusation and he reciprocated with just as much upset as she did.

„But they knew you were in a vulnerable condition, it just wasn’t right for them to do this! That kind of thing isn’t something to be taken lightly! It is something that happens between two people who love each other! The fact that it happened just like that is… it’s… I can’t stand it!“

„So that’s what you’re thinking?“ Cardia asked, her words sounding considerably hurt. „You think that I don’t love Victor and Saint-Germain? You honestly think that there’s only enough room for one person in my heart?“

She shook her head.

„My god, you understand nothing. How could I just love one of you, when you’re all so different and wonderful in your own ways? I never took any of this lightly. I never put you in categories of who is worthy of my affection more than the other. I love you all equally!“

„But that’s not how it works!“ Helsing exploded, causing Cardia to stare at him in shock.

„You cannot expect us all to just be fine with that! We are not like you, we can’t just share you like it’s nothing, despite whatever camaraderie we might have! I can see it on the other’s faces. I can see it clearly in Impey’s reaction and notice it in the way Victor looks at you when you pass him by. Even I… even I cannot stand it!“

He paused for a moment, clearly overcome with emotion.

„I love you, Cardia. More than anything else. Coming so close to death has made me realize that. I’m not going to keep this bottled up any longer. You need to understand how I feel about you… and why the thought of you being with someone else is so unendurable.“

Now it was Cardia’s turn to be speechless. Helsing, proud, stubborn, outwardly cold Abraham van Helsing, was in love with her. While Helsing looked at her with utter conviction in his feelings and expectation in how she would react, Cardia felt overwhelmed by it all. The fact that he loved her and that she was apparently the cause of so much grief for the other men, was too much to take in. 

Hastily, she got up.

„I’m sorry, but… I need time to process all of that.“ 

She slowly walked back to the door and opened it.

„Cardia, wait!“ Helsing shouted, trying to stop her, but she had already darted out of the room.

~~**~~

In the following two weeks, Helsing slowly, but surely, recovered from his injuries. The Queen’s royal physician came back for two more check-ups and was glad to be able to tell him that his wounds had closed up nicely and that he’d be allowed to leave the bed very soon. While the others kept on popping in every now and then, Cardia made herself scarce. He kept on thinking about his last encounter with the girl and her reaction to his anguished confession of his love for her.

‚It’s your own damn fault for thinking she would reciprocate your feelings‘‚ or ‚It’s no wonder she doesn’t feel the same after all that was said and done‘‚ were just two of the things Helsing kept thinking to himself. 

„You’re such an idiot, Helsing.“ he muttered to himself. He didn’t regret telling her how he really felt, but the timing and the way it was handled was less that perfect.

Another day came and went and night fell over the mansion. There would be a final check-up the next day and hopefully, Helsing would be able to finally get up and move around freely again. Not being able to do so had been the worst part of it all, as he had gotten itchy feet in the meantime.

Deciding to finally get some rest after a long day, Helsing turned off the gas lamp on his bedside table and turned to his side. The light of the full moon filled his room, bathing everything in a gentle, beautiful blue hue. Just as he was about to fall asleep, he heard a sound at the door. Instinctively, he turned around quickly and grabbed his guns in less than a couple of seconds. While Twilight might have been unable in finding their hideout, there was no way of saying if Nightfall wouldn’t be able to either. 

But when the door opened, it was neither Aleister, or a Nightfall soldier standing before him, but Cardia, much to his surprise.

Clad in a silky nightgown, her brown, long hair spilling freely over her shoulders, she looked absolutely breathtaking. Without taking his eyes off of her, Helsing slowly put the guns back on the table.

She came closer, her steps flowing on the carpet floor, it appeared as if she was floating. When she had reached the bedside, she climbed on it, sitting in such a way that her knees touched Helsing.

„I had time to think about everything. About your feelings for me… and my own. Please understand that I didn’t run away because I was distressed by your words. I had to leave because it was too much to handle all at once and I didn’t know how to reach an agreement between my emotions and the fact that each and every one of you won’t be able to agree to a compromise.“

Cardia took a deep breath before continuing.

„The fact of the matter is, that for me, nothing has changed. I still love you all equally. I cannot go out and pretend that I have more feelings for one of you than I have for the other. That’s not how my heart beats. All I can do is hope that you would come to understand, in time, that there is no reason for jealousy, possessiveness or fighting among you all. That being said… what I’m trying to tell you is… I love you too, Abraham.“

The gentle way in which Cardia uttered his first name was so intimate, so full of affection, that it gave Helsing goosebumps.

„Please, let me prove it to you…“

Before Helsing could react, Cardia was already kissing him, her lips moving gently against his own. The sweet smell of her skin filled his nose and he gave a small groan before eagerly kissing her back. Without breaking contact, Cardia moved, lifting her right leg over Helsing’s legs to straddle his lap.

She moved from his lips across his cheek, to his jaw, all the way down his throat, peppering each and every bit of skin on her path, causing Helsing’s breath to hitch in his throat. Cardia ran her hands down his chest down to the hem of his nightshirt and tugged on it. Helsing quickly realized what she was trying to do and lifted his arms so she could strip it off of him. With feather light touches, Cardia’s fingers caressed his bare skin. She could feel his abdominal muscles tense and hear his breathing go a little faster.

Seemingly eager to get rid of unnecessary clothes between them, Helsing had already gotten a hold of her nightgown and started pulling it upwards. Once the silky gown had come off, Helsing took a moment to drink in the sight of Cardia’s half-naked form. His eyes wandered from her throat and shoulders, down over her creamy breasts, where his gaze finally rested. Cardia noticed the slight hesitation, so she took his hands and gently cupped her breasts with them.

„…touch me, Abraham,“ she whispered while staring intently into his eyes.

Helsing was quick to oblige and started moving his hands, stroking her skin in a circular motion. The small gasps that escaped Cardia only spurred him on and he carefully pinched her nipple between his thumb and index finger. Seeing the lovely pink hue on her cheeks, as well as the expression of pleasure on her face only made him want to see more of it, to elicit more from her. He bent down and tenderly drew one of her nipples into his mouth.

Now it was Cardia’s turn to have her breath hitch in her throat.

Helsing alternated between sucking on the small nub and lapping around her areola, before pulling it back in. He was absolutely lost in the moment, enjoying the small mewls and moans coming from his lover.

Eventually, Cardia wrapped her arms around his neck and uttered in a voice heavy with arousal: „…I think it’s my turn now…“

Surprised, Helsing surceased his caresses and watched Cardia as she slid back so she lay on his legs, her fingers hovering over his pants. Just as he realized what she was about to do, Cardia already started palming him through them. 

„C-Cardia! What are you-„ he started, but the words got stuck.

„…I found some books in Saint-Germain’s library when I wanted to find out more about my condition… Some books showed nothing more than images of human anatomy and descriptions… but others showed men and women having sex. They showed different positions and things that seemed pleasurable. Especially one thing that seemed highly enjoyable for men. So I… I want to try it out,“ she said while pulling Helsing’s pants down below his hips, the fingers of her right hand wrapping around the length of his penis.

Watching his facial expression ardently, Cardia started to stroke him, her hand moving slowly up and down. His face slightly flushed, eyes half-lidded with pleasure, he uttered her name softly in between moans. It was lovely to Cardia, but not enough. After all, she hadn’t even done what she had seen in Saint-Germain’s books and what had aroused her merely from looking at the image on one of the pages.

After gently stroking down to the base of his shaft once more, she paused for a moment, then led his member to her lips before parting them and taking the head into her mouth.

Helsing gave a strangled groan as his head fell back against the pillow, Cardia’s name repeatedly falling like a prayer from his lips. 

Cardia started to move her head up and down, at first just until around the middle of the length, then, once she had gotten accustomed to his girth, she tried opening up her throat to take in more of him. It wasn’t all too difficult, as Helsing thrust his hips instinctively until he almost hit the back of it. Cardia coughed, pulling back from him and panic crossed Helsing’s face.

„Oh my god, I am so sorry…!“ he started, but Cardia silenced him quickly.

„It’s fine… I’m fine, really.“

She took his member into her hands and started licking in circles around the head, down the underside of his shaft and back up again, then taking it back into her mouth.

Cardia realized how aroused she herself has gotten from the act of pleasuring Helsing, the distinct pulsing of her clitoris that seemed to beg for release as well as the wetness slowly dripping down her legs being unambiguous signs.

„C-Cardia…“ Helsing groaned, „…I’m c-close…“

Upon hearing that, she stopped abruptly, letting his penis glide out of her mouth. Cardia got up from her position, turning both her legs to the side, pushing her thumb underneath the waistband of her panties and swiftly pulled it down before straddling Helsing’s lap again. She couldn’t wait any longer and she knew he couldn’t either. 

She rubbed her vulva against his member a couple of times, whining softly at the incredible sensation, then she lifted her hips, took his penis into her hand and guided it to her entrance. Slowly, she let herself sink down, enjoying the feeling of her flesh accommodating him. Though Helsing wasn’t much larger than Saint-Germain, the difference in girth was noticeable. It wasn’t painful, but she knew she had to go slow.

Bit by bit he entered her until he was sheathed within her to the hilt. They were both breathing heavily now and Cardia leaned down to catch his lips in a sloppy, but feverish kiss that let them enjoy each other's taste.

Cardia started to move, lifting herself up and moving back down, while Helsing met her movements with equal thrusts. They quickly fell into a steady rhythm, their movements attuned to each other, despite it being their first time together. Cardia arched her back in pleasure, her hands searching for Helsing’s, entwining their fingers, then pulled herself in to kiss him again. 

Helsing, while finding their lovemaking just as pleasurable, felt slightly frustrated at the distance between him and Cardia. 

He wanted to be closer to her. 

Propping one of his elbows up on the bed and running his hand from the small of her back to her shoulder blades, he sat up while keeping Cardia in place. Cardia, who had watched him in surprise, moaned softly when the shift in position allowed for deeper penetration. At the same time, it meant that their faces were now only merely an inch away from each other. 

Helsing leaned forward, kissing her neck before nibbling her delicate skin. 

„A-Abraham…!“ 

It was the sweetest sound, hearing his name voiced in such a way. He ran his tongue against her heated flesh while thrusting into her, causing her to utter his name again. She kept on meeting his movements as eagerly as ever and he knew he wasn’t going to last much longer. Cardia, too, looked like she wasn’t too far off.

Just a couple more thrusts was all he managed, then pleasure flooded each and every fiber of his being and he came, spilling his seed inside her. It was this sensation of sticky heat within her, as well as Helsing’s blissful facial expression and moans, that eventually unleashed Cardia’s own climax. Her walls spasmed, contracting deliciously around him as if they were trying to milk him for every last drop.

Completely spent, they both let themselves fall into the sheets. Helsing kept his arms wrapped around her form, pulling her into an embrace and Cardia sighed blissfully as she nestled her face against his shoulder and looked him in the eyes. Gently, he cupped her face, stroking her cheek with his thumb and she leaned forward to gave him another tender kiss. 

It was undeniable that Cardia’s feelings were honest. For some strange reason that still eluded Helsing, she really did seem to love them all, as she had said. But Helsing knew that while they were all fighting for one cause, that fact might just be what could drive them all apart. 

It was a worrying development. They couldn’t afford to have this happen to them when Aleister was waiting in the wings, hoping to get them where they were the most vulnerable. Or maybe he had already taken this into consideration?

Helsing’s mind would be racing for a long time afterwards, even after Cardia had fallen asleep in his arms.

His gut feeling told him that things were perhaps about to take a terrible turn…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter for some reason turned out to be the longest yet... I clearly have never written a multi-chaptered fic before, so that's how inconsistent it turns out to be!
> 
> For that reason, it took a lot longer to write than I had intended, but as I wanted this to be a vital point in the story, I had to preface the sex with a loooooot of plot. I hope it's not too overwhelming. The next chapter is probably going to be shorter, but then again, I never know how it turns out until I sit down and write it :)


	4. Captured

The new day had barely dawned when Rempart Leonhardt entered the pebbly driveway to Saint-Germain’s mansion. Aside from the excited chirping of the birds in the trees lining up the path, it was calm and quiet. If Leonhardt was being honest, It was too calm and quiet, feeling like a deception after everything that had recently happened.

When Arséne Lupin broke the news of Jimmy Aleisters ambush and attack on Abraham van Helsing to him, Leonhardt had instantly talked to the Queen and asked for permission to have her personal physician accompany him to the group’s hideout to save his life as quickly as possible.

Leonhardt was usually a very reserved, level-headed person, since he had basically seen all kinds of hellish things in his life as well as his career as the head of the royal guard, but seeing the usually resilient, proud Helsing so close to death had quickly turned him into nothing more than a blubbering mess.

After an emergency operation and blood transfusion, the royal physicist had told them that Helsing was alive, but that also only the next 48 hours would show if he’d truly make it. Leonhardt had been adamant to stay, but Lupin had managed convinced him to return to Buckingham Palace, since there was nothing he could do to help him. The fact that the doctor would be on call in the mansion for the next few days eventually put him more at ease but he promised to return regularly to see how he was doing.

Since that attack, two weeks had passed and according to the medic, Helsing was, surprisingly, almost as good as new. 

‚That man truly is imperishable… like a cat with nine lives…‘ Leonhardt thought to himself as he reached the entrance. He made sure his appearance was presentable, that every button on his uniform was impeccably polished, his shawl elegantly draped around his shoulders. Leonhardt straightened his back, cleared his throat and raised his hand to knock on the front door.

After a while of silence and knocking once more, he heard footsteps approaching and the wooden door opening with an audible creak to reveal Arséne Lupin.

„Leonhardt? What brings you here this early in the morning?“ 

Despite the early hour, the young man was just as immaculately dressed as Leonhardt was.

„Lupin, it’s good to see you. I am here to inquire about Helsing’s well-being and I am also bringing news from the Queen. I hope I am not intruding upon you all, but I felt like the sooner I get here, the better.“ 

Lupin’s expression turned from surprise to concern and he opened the door further, gesturing him to come inside.

„The others are still asleep, but I will gather them in a moment,“ Lupin said as they made their way to Saint-Germain’s lounge. 

„I’m sorry for the trouble, but as you can imagine, the matters we have to discuss are most pressing,“ Leonhardt replied. 

„It’s alright. I’d rather you have us up early in the morning and informed than letting precious time go to waste. After you,“ Lupin said while opening the door to the lounge, gesturing for him to enter before him. „Please take a seat wherever you feel comfortable.“

Leonhardt nodded curtly and walked over to the spacious couch. 

„I’ll be back in a moment, I’ll just be getting the oth-„ Lupin started, but was interrupted by the sound of the door opening and Delacroix walking in.

„Oh, Lupin,“ he said, his gaze wandering from him to Leonhardt. „I didn’t know that the old man was supposed to pay a visit today… I can leave if you need some privacy.“

The captain of the royal guard tried to ignore the throwaway comment about his age as best as he could, especially since he knew that Delacroix was usually not a very warm fellow.

„No, no, it’s fine, Delly! Actually, you’re arriving right on time. Leonhardt is here to talk to us about some very important matters. Would you mind getting the others?“ Lupin replied.

Delacroix growled quietly when he heard the accursed nickname Impey had given him. 

„Haven’t I done you humans enough of a favor when I saved that vampire slayer Helsing’s life two weeks ago? I’m not your servant.“

There it was again, Delacroix’ infamous attitude. But Lupin already knew how to deal with it.

„I know, Delly and we are forever indebted to you for saving Helsing’s life. I’m just asking you for a small favor. As a friend, not as a master or anything of that sort.“

He could see the hesitation in Delacroix’ face that was always there when he was torn between trying to keep up his usual act of „I hate you all“ and accepting their kindness and subsequently letting them in.

The young vampire’s gaze wandered from him to the floor, to Leonhardt and back to Lupin. Eventually he spoke in a slightly subdued voice.

„A-alright, I’ll go get them. But I’m only doing it because I wanted to look if Sisi is already awake anyway. Don’t think that I’m doing you guys another favor…“

He left the room and audibly closed the door.

„…I’m sorry, Leonhardt. He is still a bit standoffish at times,“ Lupin said as he turned to Leonhardt, smiling apologetically.

„It’s alright, Lupin, no hard feelings. As long as he doesn’t attack me, I’m quite alright,“ he quipped and laughed. 

Then his face turned serious.

„But tell me… how is Helsing? Her royal highness’ physician has informed me that he’s almost fully recovered, but merely two weeks have passed… it still is a mystery to me…“

„Well…“ Lupin started as he took a seat on one of the single couches facing him. „…I guess we can count ourselves lucky for the kind of training Helsing has had under Jimmy Aleister. Or perhaps it all boils down to his will of iron.“

„You mean… he simply wanted to survive and recover and therefore simply did so?“

Lupin shrugged.

„Who knows… but I wouldn’t put it past him. Helsing’s s a beast. I’ve seen that guy endure things that would have killed other people. I’ve even seen him used as a human projectile and surviving that. It still baffles me to this day how that didn’t even phase him,“ he sighed, before continuing.

„Taking all of that into consideration, it is quite worrying if even he can be bested that easily by Nightfall soldiers… It makes me wonder what there is that we can do against Aleister and his little army…“

Upon hearing that, Leonhardt piped up.

„Actually, there is a solution to this, dear Lupin-„ Leonhardt started, but was interrupted by Delly returning to the lounge. Just a couple of steps behind him were Saint-Germain, Impey and Victor. 

Helsing and Cardia were nowhere to be seen.

„Here they are. Helsing is apparently still sleeping because he didn’t open the door. Same goes for Cardia. You want me to get the master key and wake them up?“ Delly asked.

Lupin shook his head.

„That won’t be necessary, thank you, Delly. I think Helsing might still need some additional rest and Cardia… well, we can fill her in later on the details.“ He turned to Leonhardt. „I think it’s fine if we start without them.“

He waited for the others to take a seat, then he turned back to Leonhardt.

„Leonhardt, you have our undivided attention.“

Rempart Leonhardt got up from his seat and crossed his arms behind his back.

„Thank you very much, Lupin and everyone else for being fine with me getting you out of bed that early. But you all know, I wouldn’t be doing this if it wasn’t important.“

He cleared his throat.

„I’ve come to you to inform you that I’ve been having quite many discussions with her Majesty the Queen for the past two weeks regarding the threat of Jimmy Aleister and his cooperation with Twilight and Nightfall. To be perfectly honest with you, even for us this has been very alarming.“

Slowly, he started pacing back and forth on the carpet floor.

„However… the Queen, too, has in the past assembled some of the strongest soldiers in the country and had them undergo a special training that would bring out their hidden fighting talents. Of course, you have never heard of this because it is, after all, happening in secrecy. Those soldiers were trained for dire situations such as this one.“

Leonhardt came to a halt, looking from Victor to Impey to Saint-Germain and finally to Lupin.

„The Queen will be giving you her full support and providing you with that additional manpower. That way, we should stand a chance against him.“

„How many members does Twilight and Nightfall consist of anyway? So far we’ve only had contact with a portion of them,“ Lupin mentioned.

„According to my source of information, Twilight should have roughly 200 members by now. whereas Nightfall should consist of around 100 members. Which means we’re having an estimated army of 300 people that could potentially be attacking us at one time,“ Saint-Germain answered, causing the others to look at each other with worried expressions.

„300 people? I don’t want to say that this is a lot, but, holy hell, this is a LOT,“ Impey said. 

„How many soldiers could Her Majesty provide us with?“ Victor asked.

„Roughly 200,“ Leonhardt replied.

„200?! That is more than I had expected…“ Lupin looked at him incredulously. 

„But we’re still outnumbered…“ Impey said quietly, a look of worry in his eyes.

„That is just the special forces,“ Leonhardt added. „Her Majesty would additionally provide her regular royal forces if needed.“

A collective sigh of relief could be heard throughout the room.

„That is splendid, Leonhardt! This is honestly taking a big load off our minds!“ Lupin was ecstatic, grabbed Leonhardt’s hand and shook it vigorously before pulling him into a crushing hug. 

The head of the royal guard blushed furiously and looked like he was about to stop breathing.

„L-LUPIN! Please, stop it, that is embarrassing!“

Lupin let go of him almost immediately, a beaming smile plastered on his face. Leonhardt straightened his clothes, then raised his fist to his mouth and coughed.

„Ahem! I was expecting you all to react positively to these news, but not quite like that… anyway, there’s n-nothing to thank me for. A-after all, it’s Her Majesty’s orders.“

He was still considerably flustered.

„It is incredibly relieving to hear. I was honestly worried sick over how we could even stand a chance. But this… it’s more than I had hoped for!“

Lupin’s reaction caused the others to laugh, but it was evident that they were just as relieved as Lupin was.

Just as Leonhardt was about to open his mouth to say something, familiar voices could be heard from outside the room.

The door to the lounge opened and Helsing and Cardia strolled inside, laughing and in the middle of a conversation. They seemed very comfortable and intimate with each other, which may or may not had been evident in them holding hands. 

Both of them looked surprised when they saw the others as well as Leonhardt and immediately came to a halt, letting go of each other’s hand as if they had been caught doing something forbidden. 

Lupin, who for the first moment had been staring at them in astonishment, was now narrowing his eyes.

Indeed, it looked like they had both just gotten up from bed and most definitely not separately.

The formerly relaxed atmosphere was now oddly tense.

Victor’s gaze wandered from Helsing and Cardia on one side of the room to Lupin and back again. The expression on Lupin’s face looked like one of immense hurt.

Without any prior warning, Impey got up from his seat, clenched his fists and stormed past Helsing and Cardia out of the lounge.

„Impey!“ Cardia called out to him and immediately ran after him.

Lupin furrowed his brows and started massaging his temples, a frustrated groan escaping him. 

„That is just great, Helsing. Amazing. As if we needed this tension back again after getting good news from Leonhardt.“

Helsing looked at him in disbelief.

„Excuse me? Why is this my fault now?“

„Oh, don’t play dumb, Helsing! You know full well why!“ Lupin spat back, causing Victor and Saint-Germain to look alarmed. 

„You know exactly what kind of tension that has been causing, what it’s STILL causing and yet you go ahead and have sex with Cardia. What were you even thinking?!“ 

Lupin was yelling now and everyone in the room kept on watching the scene unfold with worry in their eyes.

Leonhardt’s face turned a deep shade of red, clearly embarrassed to be in the middle of an argument between the two men.

„I-I think it’s better if I return to the palace… I-I’ve held you up long enough and Her Majesty is expecting me back for report… C-Count, I-I will get in contact about everything else soon,“ he stammered into Saint-Germain’s direction. 

„I agree, I think it’s best if you leave. We’ll continue this another time,“ Saint-Germain quickly said and Leonhardt hastily left the lounge after a curt nod.

Lupin and Helsing were still so immersed into their argument, that they didn’t even realize Leonhardt had left.

„You’re behaving as if I had been the first one to sleep with her. Why didn’t you react that way when Victor lost his cool? Or when Saint-Germain happened to have a little intimate ‚get together‘ with Cardia? There have been plenty of instances where you could have gotten upset. Doing it right now doesn’t make any sense to me whatsoever,“ Helsing retorted.

„It does! This whole issue has endangered your life and it has been the cause of nothing but trouble in the past, do we really need to go through that as a group again? Just look at Impey! Have you thought for one second about his feelings? We can’t have this drive a wedge between us again now that we’ve gotten ourselves together!“

Lupin’s voice sounded extremely exasperated now.

„…you know what I think?“ Helsing said after a short pause. „I think the real reason behind this all is that you’re envious that you are the only one beside Impey, who hasn’t been intimate with Cardia so far.“

At that, Lupin was gobsmacked. He just stared at Helsing, his eyes glistening with fury and his balled fists were shaking like aspen leaves.

„Helsing! Lupin! That’s enough! Is it really necessary to fight right now?“ Saint-Germain stepped between them, facing Lupin. Victor followed suit and stood in front of Helsing with his arms stretched out.

„Keep out of this, Saint-Germain, this is none of your business,“ Lupin snarled. It was the first time the self-proclaimed „gentleman thief“ was speaking in such a harsh tone to the Count.

„It is very much my business. As you said it yourself, quarreling will get us nowhere. Please, calm down, Lupin,“ Saint-Germain replied gently, hoping to appeal to him, but it was no use. He was too furious.

„At least admit it, Lupin! Admit that you’re just the same as everyone else,“ Helsing shouted, his words provocative. Lupin grit his teeth.

„Come on, Helsing, stop it! Why do you have to be like that?“ Victor whined, scared that a full-blown fight might ensue.

„Why do _I_ have to be like that? I’m just telling the truth! And it’s quite hypocritical of you to pretend like you’re the ones who aren’t affected by this situation at all. You’re feeling the same way! All of us do. We just cannot admit it. We’d rather swallow it, pretending like everything’s okay, while at the same time thinking how we want to be sole target of Cardia’s affection. This is what’s driving us apart. Our goddamn inability to address the elephant in the room!“

He got up in Victor’s face, his breath hot on the scientist’s glasses. 

„And you really think causing so much trouble is the better approach to it all?! Dammit, Helsing, do you think it’s easy to compose myself like that on a day-to-day basis?!“ Victor snapped, causing Helsing to flinch. „You’re not the only one who’s-„ 

Just as Victor’s agitation started to gain momentum, the door opened and Cardia stepped into the room. Her face was flushed red and she panted heavily, probably from running after Impey. Upon seeing the tense scene in the room before her, she first looked confused, then slightly scared, her eyes wandering from Saint-Germain to Lupin, from Lupin to Victor and from Victor to Helsing. 

The guys immediately acted like nothing had happened, though Lupin and Helsing were still visibly irritated.

„U-um… I didn’t manage to catch up to him. He’s just so fast, I couldn’t…“ she said, trying to catch her breath. „He locked himself in his shack in the garden…“ 

„It’s understandable that he’s upset, Cardia. Give him some time,“ Saint-Germain smiled gently as he turned to her. Victor admired how talented he was at covering up any uneasiness. Lupin and Helsing kept their eyes fixed on opposite walls, trying their hardest not to meet Cardia’s gaze.

Cardia kept on looking timidly from Helsing to Lupin, as the atmosphere was still noticeably tense. They continued to ignore her.

„A-alright, Saint-Germain. I’ll just… leave him be. I-If you’ll excuse me, I think it’s better if I head back to my room…“

Before she could walk out of the lounge, Lupin clicked his tongue in annoyance and briskly walked past her out of the room. Cardia could feel her heart hammering in her chest, however, it was not from the physical exertion of chasing after Impey. She tried to swallow the lump that formed in her throat and with it the tears that dared to spill over. 

Instead, she left, feeling desolated.

~~**~~

Days passed and now Impey was the one who kept his distance from the others. He didn’t turn up for breakfast or any of the meals and even refused to make them. Quite like Helsing, he evaded the other four men and Cardia.

If she did happen to cross his path in the hallway, he would quickly run from her and hide in the garden.

Eventually, Cardia would start coming by his shack every morning and evening, trying fruitlessly to get him to come out. She would continuously knock on the door and talk through it in an attempt to reach Impey with her words, but he would have none of it.

Lupin and Helsing did not hide away after their argument, but would regard each other with a coldness that was so unlike them. Victor and Saint-Germain tried their best to keep up the façade of a happy group, but they knew all too well that something had irreversibly changed.

Despite not getting any reaction from Impey, Cardia would still go and visit him every single day. 

On the seventh day, as the sun was about to set, she was once again on her way to the garden. Impey’s shack was bathed in a lovely shade of orange, looking warm and inviting. But appearances were often deceiving.

Cardia slowly walked up to the wooden door and gently knocked on it twice.

„Impey? It’s me, Cardia.“

No response, as per usual. 

„Impey… how long will this go on? Will you refuse to talk to me for the next weeks? Or even months?“

She turned around and leaned back against the still closed door, looking up to the sky.

„You know, Impey… I never intended to hurt you. You have to believe me. You mean the world to me, you all do. And yet, my actions cause nothing but pain. I fully understand that you are angry at me and that you don’t want to see me because of what I did. But… I’d rather have you look me in the eyes and tell me about your feelings, than being met with silence…“

Cardia slowly slid down until she sat on the ground and drew her knees to her chest.

„And I do keep talking like it wouldn’t phase me to have this talk with you, but if I’m being honest, I am scared. I’m scared that you will open this door and tell me that you actually never want to talk to me again because you’ve grown to hate me for what I’ve done… I just… I can’t bear that thought… please… please don’t hate me…“ she whispered.

Just then, the door opened with a creak, causing Cardia to fall back and right against Impey’s legs. She yelped in surprise and looked up into the red-head’s frowning face that loomed upside down over her.

„My god, Cardia… Don’t be silly! There’s no way I could ever hate you!“

Flustered, Cardia hastily rolled over so she could get on all fours, all while Impey kept on looking at her. 

„Impey! You’re talking to me again…“ she sobbed, as the tears that she had been swallowing for the past few days finally spilled freely from her eyes.

Cardia’s emotional response wiped Impey’s frown off his face in an instant, instead replacing it with fright. He quickly grasped her arms to help her back on her feet, then pulled her into a heartfelt embrace.

The young girl pressed her face against his chest and breathed in deeply. He smelled of machine oil as always, but Cardia had grown to associate it with him so much that it was nothing less but a mollifying scent to her. She could feel her agitated heartbeat slow down and hummed with content when she felt the sensation of Impey gently threading his fingers through her hair.

Eventually Impey pulled away and looked into her face. At the corners of her eyes, there were still some tears, so he cupped her face carefully and wiped them away with his thumbs.

„Are you feeling better now?“ he asked her and smiled. Cardia sniffled and nodded as a small laugh escaped her, clearly elated that Impey didn’t seem to be angry with her.

„You stupid little girl, how could you even begin to think that I’d ever be capable of feeling anything less than love for you. I’ve told you this so many times and yet you go ahead and convince yourself of such nonsense!“

„B-but you were refusing to talk to me! I-I thought…“ Cardia started, but Impey interrupted her almost immediately.

„I wasn’t angry at you, I was desperate because I didn’t know how to deal with the situation other than to run away and avoid seeing you. After all, it caused me too much pain to think that you didn’t have any feelings for me and that you’d rather be with anyone except me.“

„Impey…“ Cardia started, „do you really think that I have no feelings for you?“

„Well, it’s been evident that I’ve never been your first choice. It’s okay though, I am… trying to come to terms with it. I cannot force you to like me and I would never dare to force myself on you. It’s just that… it hurts,“ he replied, looking at her with so much emotion shimmering in his eyes that it caused a shiver to run down Cardia’s spine.

„Listen, Impey, you’ve got it all wrong!“ she almost shouted as she caught a hold of his upper arms. „I’ve had to explain this to Helsing too because he had assumed something similar… I know this seems to be difficult for you all to understand but…“

Cardia breathed in deeply before continuing, her gaze fixed on Impey’s, who listened intently to her every word.

„I have feelings for all of you. I most probably have had them since the very beginning. From what I’ve gathered so far, this is not the way love is supposed to be. Apparently I’m only supposed to love one person with all my heart, but… that’s just not how it is. There is no „ranking“ of who is deserving of my affection the most and there certainly is no danger of me changing my mind about all of this. I just know it…“

Impey thoughtfully averted his gaze for a moment, a gesture that Cardia interpreted negatively.

„Do you not believe me?“ Cardia asked, trying to look into his eyes again.

„I do and I’m honestly… so incredibly happy to hear that. But…“

„But?“

„…unfortunately, the issue here isn’t whether or not you love us all equally. I don’t know if you’ve realized it already, but we’re all very jealous men, Cardia. There’s no way any of us would easily agree to sharing the woman we love and be alright with it. It has caused quite a considerable amount of tension within the group.“

Cardia looked panicked.

„So… it’s all my fault?“

„No, silly. It’s our problem, not yours. The others have so far tried their best to hide it from you because we didn’t want you to feel guilty.“

„But there wouldn’t be friction if it wasn’t for me!“

„We also would be living very boring lives without you, Cardia,“ Impey replied and caressed her cheeks with his thumbs. „Don’t beat yourself up over this. Like I said, this is something we have to resolve among each other. How we’re going to do that, I don’t know but… I’m sure at the end, it’ll all work out just fine!“

He gave his usual, cheerful smile, a smile so infectious that Cardia couldn’t help but start feeling optimistic as well.

„Well, now that that has been said, there’s something I want to offer you as a compensation for my silence this past week.“ 

Impey took her hand and led her to the side of the shack to an object obscured by a large vinyl sheet. With his free hand, he grasped one corner of the sheet and pulled it off with a swift motion, revealing the airship the group had stolen a while ago.

Cardia looked at him, puzzled.

„I don’t think you’ve ever seen London from above, now have you, Cardia? And I mean in its entirety. Not just a tiny glimpse from my Ornithopter. All of it.“

Cardia shook her head and Impey beamed.

„Then it’s about time! Let me show you London and the countryside! I swear it’s a sight to remember! I’ve been adapting and upgrading the airship quite a lot since our last flight so it would offer us all the amenities a traveler in the sky needs!“

„But… didn’t the others say we should all stay together and not do anything that might alert Twilight to our presence?“

„Oh come on, it’s just a tiny trip around the outer perimeter of the city. It’s not even that far away! We’ll be back before night falls, I promise!“

Cardia still hesitated, but when she looked into Impey’s face and saw the child-like excitement glistening in his eyes, she couldn’t help but love the thought of taking a trip in his airship with him.

„Alright, I give in,“ she answered and giggled when Impey gave a cry of joy.

„I swear you will not regret it! Here, let me show you…“ Impey started chattering excitedly as he led Cardia into the airship. The young girl was surprised when she saw how much the interior had changed. All of the rusty, old parts had been swapped for new, gilded ones, the walls had a different, more elegant paneling and there was even an additional seating-accommodation. Once more, Cardia was absolutely in awe of Impey’s knack for upgrading and improving.

„Impey… are you sure that this is the same airship that we stole? It’s totally unrecognizable!“

„Isn’t it?“ he replied joyfully. „I worked hard on that little baby here. I exchanged the steering wheel and came up with a design that lets me steer more easily and without any noticeable resistance. That tiny little add-on is running on steam as well, so I always have to make sure I’m storing enough for an entire trip. But on the other hand I managed to update the power unit so that it would use less steam that it did before!“

Cardia smiled as she listened to Impey talking about all the changes he had made to the airship. It was this passion that had eventually made Cardia see him in a different light and caused her to realize her feelings for him.

Impey realized that Cardia was watching him intently and stopped mid-sentence, embarrassed. 

„I’m sorry, I just keep on babbling on and on about things you’re not even interested in… I think it’s best if we get started so we’re really back before the night falls. Please, take a seat, Cardia and leave it all to me!“

Cardia chuckled and walked over to the spacious and comfortable looking seats. As soon as she sat down, she could feel her weight sink into the pillows and she gave a sigh of satisfaction. From where she was sitting, she was able to perfectly see out the airship and into the surrounding woods.

Impey walked over to the steering wheel and pushed a button, as well as a few levers. The airship gave a high-pitched sound and steam emerged from one of the pipes on the outside, then it already started lifting up gently from the ground. Slowly but surely, it rose, leaving Cardia to admire once more how everything below her got smaller and smaller.

Soon, the mansion, as well as the woods surrounding it, were merely the size of ants, but the airship kept on soaring and a whole new, unknown world opened itself up to Cardia.

London looked absolutely breathtaking from above, like a miniature model with rows of houses, intricate buildings and occasional steam emerging from various chimneys.

She got up from her seat and walked right up to the huge glass front.

„Isn’t it beautiful?“ Impey said as he came up from behind to where Cardia was standing.

„It is…“ she whispered and he smiled.

„Just wait, I will make it even more beautiful!“

Impey skipped over to the steering wheel and opened up a panel right next to it. He pressed a button and with a soft whirring sound, the floor beneath Cardia became transparent, making her realize that she had been standing on tinted glass the entire time. All of a sudden it was like she was standing on air, watching the trees and grass below pass her by.

„Impey… this is… genius!“ she beamed and Impey looked more than proud.

After a few rounds around the perimeter of London, Impey directed the airship away from the capital.

„We still have some more time until it’s getting dark, so why don’t we take a look at the landscape?“

Wide, lush, green fields opened up to them as the city disappeared behind them and soon Cardia couldn’t tell how far they’d distanced themselves from it. 

It was like a dream.

„Alright,“ Impey said after some time had passed, „why don’t we make our way back home?“

As soon as he had said it though, the airship started to sway, as if shaken by an invisible power. Cardia gave a surprised yelp and tried to hold on to something but she barely missed one of the thin pipes and fell.

„What the-„ Impey started, but his words stuck in his throat when the clouds parted and first revealed the nose, then the whole rest of a gigantic airship that was at least three times the size of theirs. The thing that was shaking their ship was the gust it was creating.

„Cardia, are you okay?“ Impey shouted and was at her side in an instant. After checking she was indeed fine, his eyes turned back on the other ship.

„Shit.., that bastard hasn’t had enough, it seems,“ he growled.

„Is this…“

„Nemo? Yes. That guy is like a cockroach…“

Impey hurried back to the steering wheel, pulling a few levers again.

„Cardia, please hold on tight or sit down. I’m going to try and lose that bastard.“ 

Cardia did as she was told, moving over to the comfortable chairs on wobbly legs as quickly as she managed to, then held on to the armrest. The airship gave off a large amount of steam with a loud whistle, then it started to speed up. 

**_„You’re not gonna escape this time, Impey Barbicane! You will pay for what you did to my precious Nautilus!“_ **

Nemo’s voice boomed through the sky, resonating even within the walls of their airship.

„Still not tired of stalking us, Nemo? Man, you really need some help…“ Impey retorted as he shouted into the communications pipe attached next to the steering wheel. His voice, too, was carried to the outside, echoing all around them.

Nemo gave off one of his insane laughs.

**_„Now that I have repaired my Nautilus, I’m going to finish you off once and for all!“_ **

„‚Repaired‘? From what I can remember we totally crashed that thing. Nothing should be left of it. Don’t you mean you just built another one?“ Impey teased, a smile forming on his lips. He always knew how to rile up Nemo and this time was no different. 

**_„SILENCE! How dare you insinuate that I would abandon my Nautilus like that?! You will pay for this, Impey Barbicane!“_ **

The Nautilus gave off a loud noise of it’s own and sped up in pursuit of Impey and Cardia.

Impey was still confident they could pull away. He hadn’t been working on their airship for that long for nothing. Pushing the ship into overdrive, he managed to accelerate even more, parting the clouds in a jiffy. 

However, the second Nautilus was apparently quite a monster itself. Soon the oversized nose came dangerously close to touching them.

„Crap, crap, double crap!“ Impey cursed as he tried to get as much horsepower out of the airship as possible. However, he had to admit that they were about to hit their limit.

Nemo gave another booming laugh that shook the entire airship.

**_„Give it up, Impey Barbicane! There’s no way you could beat my Nautilus twice!“_ **

„How in the world did he…“ Impey started but was cut off when the Nautilus rammed the side of their airship. He stumbled, but caught himself quickly, gripping the steering wheel tightly and forcefully turned it to the right. The airship tilted sideways abruptly and managed to create a bit of a gap.

**_„Aaaah, it’s no use, it’s no use… anything you do, Impey Barbicane, is for naught! Here, let me SHOW YOU!“_ **

Nemo shouted again and the Nautilus collided with them even more forcefully. With a whirring noise, steel cables shot out from the side of the ship, burying themselves in the exterior of impey’s and Cardia’s airship and slowly reeling it in.

„That bastard…!“ Impey growled through gritted teeth and couldn’t do anything but watch helplessly as the Nautilus came closer and closer. A large hatch on the top of the Nautilus opened up and about four dozen Twilight and about a dozen Nightfall soldiers appeared, carrying large grappling hook cannons. They aimed directly at the control center and fired.

Impey realized that with their airship rendered completely immobile and so many enemy soldiers on the way over to them, they had to admit defeat. He looked over to Cardia, who hadn’t moved an inch since the chase had started, his eyes sad and apologetic.

In the meantime, the troupes of Twilight and Nightfall soldiers had reached them and surrounded both him and Cardia. One of the men pulled out a baton and quickly hit him over the head.

 _'Had I just listened to you, Cardia,'_ Impey thought ruefully, before he lost consciousness.

~~ ** ~~

When Impey came to, a stinging and hammering pain shot through his head, causing him to wince. Slowly, he tried to make sense of his surroundings. He was somewhat relieved to see that he was still in his airship but less than happy about the fact that his hands were bound behind his back.

„Cardia?“ he called out into the semi-darkness, filled with worry that Nemo might have brought her somewhere else.

„I’m here, Impey,“ came her reply from the side and he tried to turn his head into the direction her voice had come from. Impey wiggled ungraciously from one side to the other until he reached the wall and managed to get himself into an upright, sitting position.

Are you alright, Cardia?“ 

„Yes, I’m fine. How about you?“

„Don’t worry about me. I’m pretty resilient.“

The heavy iron door opened and Nemo sauntered into the room, drunk on the feeling of success at having captured his rival. A couple of Twilight and Nightfall soldiers walked closely behind him.

„There you are, Impey Barbicane! I told you, that there was no way you’d escape me!“

„Nemo! It’s so nice to see you again. Seems like you haven’t changed one bit. Still delusional, I see.“

„SILENCE!“ Nemo bellowed, quickly striding forward and leaning down until the tip of his nose touched impey’s. „You can try and be cheeky all you want, but the fact is that I captured you!“

From one second to the other, his facial expression changed completely. The anger suddenly dissolved into a contorted grimace of agony and sadness. When he spoke again, it sounded like he was hurting.

„You know, Impey, it’s such a pity… you and me, we could have become the world’s most brilliant science duo! We could have experimented together, worked together, invented together! With our wits, we could have been an unstoppable force…!“

Then, his face scrunched up into rage again.

„BUT YOU HAD TO GO AGAINST ME AND SIDE WITH THOSE WEAKLINGS! AND THIS GIRL!“ 

He turned on his heel and stomped up to Cardia, his long, silver hair whipping around him. She recoiled from him and turned her face to the side. Still, he leaned in just as close, his breath hot on her face when he spoke.

„It’s all your fault he is that way! Which is why especially you must suffer…!“

„W-what do you mean by that, Nemo?!“ Impey shouted.

Nemo turned his head to the side to to look at him.

„You know full well, what I mean! I’ll be handing her to Nightfall, or, more precisely, to Jimmy Aleister! What he’ll do with her then… well, who knows? I bet it’s nothing short of marvelous from a scientist’s point of view!“

He chuckled, then started laughing maniacally.

Impey gritted his teeth.

„As long as I am here, you’ll do nothing to Cardia. You hear that? That’s a promise!“

„Oooh, I’m shaking in my boots!“ Nemo quipped and threw his head back as another fit of laughter washed over him. „How exactly do you plan on protecting your pwecious wittle pwincess? With your hands bound and your airship being under my control?“

Impey didn’t reply. Instead, he stared at Nemo with such an intense hatred, that his laughter got stuck in his throat for a second.

„…just wait and see, Nemo.“

Nemo shook his head and grinned.

„I’m already bored of talking to you. There’s more important things I have to tend to and also… I’m pretty sure that you’d rather spend your last hours together,“ he crooned and looked from Impey to Cardia before he motioned the soldiers flanking him to leave. 

After the heavy door had fallen shut, silence spread out over the room. Cardia didn’t know what kind of emotion she was supposed to feel - whether she should have been scared to death or simply desolated, she didn’t know. When she looked over to Impey and realized that he was giggling, anxiety washed over her.

That was it. Impey had given up hope and the dire situation they were in simply caused him to have an emotional meltdown, Cardia was convinced.

Impey threw his head back and laughed loudly, the sound echoing in the room.

„Impey? Impey, I know it must seem like all hope is lost, but if we just give up like that it means that Nemo has already won!“ she tried reasoning with him.

Impey tried to catch his breath in between laughing and when he eventually did, he surprised Cardia with what he said next.

„Cardia… are you thinking that I’m laughing because I lost my mind? Gosh, no! I’m laughing because Nemo still is such. a. goddamn. IDIOT!“ 

He started laughing again and Cardia could just look at him in utter confusion.

„What do you mean by that?“

„I mean…“ Impey giggled as he brought his arms forward from the back, the rope he had been bound with dangling from his right hand, „…that he’s just a complete and utter idiot!“

He got up and sauntered over to Cardia, who was completely speechless. When he reached her, he squatted next to her and started untying her wrists.

„Nemo honestly thought that such a little, puny rope was going to keep me, a vampire, shackled… it’s honestly so incredibly funny!“ 

As soon as Cardia’s wrists were free, Impey carefully checked if there were any abrasions and was relieved to see that she was absolutely fine. 

„That is not the only reason why I was laughing, Cardia… do you wanna know what else is the reason?“ he asked, taking a small, rectangular, silver box out of his pocket. 

„The other is that he is so drunk on his supposed success that he didn’t consider not locking us up in our own airship.“

With his thumb, he pushed the red button in the middle of the box and a clicking sound from the door could be heard. Just mere seconds after that, the whole room started to shake violently.

Out of the floor, right in the very middle of the room, a cylindrical unit emerged, which Impey quickly approached. He turned a small knob and from the sides of the unit, multiple, small bars swung out that moved along the outside to the top and assembled themselves into a small steering wheel all on their own. Finally, it fit itself into a cavity on the top of the main panel and signaled through a glowing, red light that it was ready to use.

Impey smiled and slid open a flap, uncovering a small numerical pad in which he quickly punched a code into. 

„Hold tight, Cardia!“ he called out to Cardia, seconds before the room seemed to be in total free fall. Cardia gave a small cry and held on to one of the steel beams in the room.

„Impey, we’re fall-!“ she started, but was cut off when another tremor ran through the room.

„We’re not, Cardia! Trust me!“ Impey replied and pulled the steering wheel up. Just in that moment, the entire room lifted up into the sky. 

„T-the room is an airship?“ Cardia exclaimed. „But how?“

Impey laughed and pushed another button. Shutters all around them started to open up, unveiling the night sky and the sight of Nemo’s airship distancing itself further and further from them.

„Because I built it that way,“ Impey said, looking extremely proud of himself. „I felt like there was a need to include an emergency airship within the airship and it seems like my hunch was right.“

„So… does that mean… we’ve gotten away from Nemo?“ Cardia asked.

„Yep. At least for the time being. I’m sure it won’t take long until he realizes-„

**_„IMPEY BARBICANEEEEEEE! I’M GOING TO KILL YOU!“_**

Nemo’s voice came out of the blue and boomed through the skies.

„…well, speak of the devil!“ Impey clicked his tongue.

**_„HOW DARE YOU TAKE ME FOR A FOOL! JUST YOU WAIT-!“_ **

„I’m sorry, Nemo, but I have no intention of letting ourselves get captured by you again! But it was nice seeing you. Take care!“ Impey shouted into his communication device and immediately afterward pushed the small airship into overdrive.

 ** _„GET BACK HERE YOU INSOLENT FOOL!“_** Nemo shouted and also accelerated his airship, but he very quickly had to realize that his huge Nautilus, with the remnants of Impey’s airship in tow, was no match for the small and agile mini-airship that Impey was controlling. While shouting aggressive orders, he started attacking Impey and Cardia’s vessel with missiles, but they all kept missing.

Soon they were too far ahead for him to have any chance of catching up, but Impey kept on speeding ahead. He knew better than to underestimate Nemo.

Eventually they couldn’t hear the steam-powered engine of the Nautilus anymore.

„Have we lost him?“ Cardia asked while trying to calm her pounding heart.

„I think so… but the problem is that in order to shake him off, we’ve veered further away from the direction of the mansion… which means it’ll take longer to return… dammit! They’ll all be worried, I bet…“ Impey replied, clearly angry about the sudden turn of events.

„That’s fine, Impey. The most important thing is that we’re both safe and sound.“

„You’re right, Cardia,“ Impey replied and laughed with relief at the fact that they had managed to save themselves. As he fully realized this, he walked up to Cardia and pulled her into a tight embrace, burying his face in her hair. 

„Impey, I can’t breathe!“ Cardia gasped, patting Impey’s shoulder with her fist a couple of times. He eased the hug, but still kept his arms around her.

„I’m sorry, I’m just… so happy!“ he exclaimed and lifted her up from the ground, twirling her once before setting her back down again. Laughter bubbled up in Cardia’s chest.

„That’s lovely and I’m happy too, but let me live!“

Eventually, he let go of her and walked back to the panel, putting in the coordinates of the mansion so that the airship would fly back home on its own. When he was done, he joined Cardia, who had moved to a spot that would grant her the best view of the landscape as the ship started to glide in a gentle pace.

Suddenly they were both extremely aware of each other’s proximity, of every breath and every tiny movement.

Carefully, almost hesitantly, Impey put his arm around Cardia’s shoulder and drew her closer, gently cupping the back of her head. Cardia looked at him somewhat shyly from under her long eyelashes, but eagerly tried closing the distance between them when she realized that he was bending down to kiss her. Her eyes closed in anticipation, but just as his lips were a mere inch away from hers, there was the sound of something heavy hitting the door, jolting both of them from the moment.

„What the-„ Impey started in annoyance, but was interrupted when a second later, the door burst open and nearly hit them where they were standing.

In place where the door had been now stood a Nightfall soldier with eyes the color of blood, hunched over as if ready to jump and deep, labored breathing. He looked more like an animal rather than a human being.

Instantly, Impey was on high alert and pulled Cardia behind his back to shield her. His instinct was proven right when the soldier lunged at him with incredible speed, missing Cardia by a fraction of a second. 

„Cardia, take cover!“ he shouted and pushed her into the direction of a couple of crates in the corner. 

„B-but Impey-!“ 

„Don’t worry about me, I’ll handle him! Just go and hide!“

The soldier didn’t give him much time to breathe, instead he pulled out a dagger and threw himself at the mechanic again. Being a vampire, Impey’s reflexes were quite fast too and he quickly ran to the other side of the room, kicked a hole through one of the wooden boxes there and grabbed a rather large wrench from the inside. He thanked his lucky stars that Nemo and his henchman had not thought about tampering with or removing anything from that room.

Just as he turned around, the soldier brought his dagger down, hitting the side of the wrench. It made a screeching sound that caused Impey to grimace, the soldier however didn’t react at all. Still, he kept on pushing against Impey’s makeshift weapon, trying to get him to give in, but he didn’t yield.

‚Shit those guys are strong…‘ Impey thought as he stood his ground against him. Summoning his strength, Impey managed to push back, causing the soldier to stumble back a few steps. Impey didn’t lose much time and attacked him, bringing the wrench down to hit the side of his head forcefully. The soldier gave a rage-filled grunt, but was clearly stunned for a moment. 

Impey didn’t intend to let the soldier come any closer to Cardia, but he knew he needed to get to her if he wanted his plan to get rid of the unwanted intruder to succeed. While keeping an eye on him, Impey inched closer to her hiding place.

„Cardia, listen to me. There is a hatch hidden in the flooring of the room. It’s pretty close from where you’re currently located. The handle to pull it up is embedded within the surrounding material, so you have to look closely to find it. It should be easier by tapping on it with your fingers and listening to the sound.“

Behind them, the Nightfall soldier groaned. He would be back on his feet soon.

„W-what do you intend to do?“

„I will try to push him out of the airship, of course. That’s the only way we can get rid of him. Judging from what Helsing has told us, those guys are not a joke. Killing them is pretty much an impossible feat, even as a vampire…“

Another roar filled the room and Impey watched out of the corner of his eyes as the solder grasped the handle of the dagger a bit stronger, ready to pounce again.

„Did you get it, Cardia? It’s crucial that you find and open it. It’s our only chance. You can do it, I know it.“

Impey quickly extended his hand and brushed his fingers against her cheek, then he was already jumping into the air and away from her to distract the soldier.

To his satisfaction, it worked. He came at him again with his superhuman speed, completely ignoring the brunette girl.

Cardia got on all fours and slowly crawled along the floor, tapping the surface with her index and middle finger repeatedly. 

‚Quick,“ she thought. ‚I have to be quick… Impey is in danger…‘

Nervousness let her fingers tremble, but she didn’t let that be a hindrance to her. Out of the corner of her eyes she watched Impey defend himself against the onslaught of attacks. Then, finally, the sound coming from the floor plates was different, more hollow and Cardia immediately fumbled with the material, trying to find the handle.

It took her a moment, but then her index finger hooked right into it and she quickly pushed her middle and ring finger into the opening as well, then pulled upwards with as much force as she could muster. The opening was quite big, so the soldier would fit through this with no problem at all. 

In the meantime, Impey had been moving closer to the direction of the hatch ever so subtly while fighting and the Nightfall soldier had moved along with him. Now they were both merely a couple of steps away from it.

Impey was ready to deal the final blow, but as he prepared to jump behind his enemy, the soldier made a sudden, unexpected dash forward and thrust his blade into Impey’s chest. Shocked, Impey dropped the wrench and coughed up blood before doubling over.

„IMPEY!“ 

Cardia screamed and felt a surge of adrenaline coursing through her. Carried by the rush of power and without much thinking, she ran, trying to keep the man from attacking Impey any further. Through the dream-like haze, she saw him draw his arm back, pulling the blade out.

‚No,‘ she thought. ‚Don’t do this. You’ll kill him.‘

Still completely focused on Impey, the soldier lifted his arm to strike again, but Cardia was faster. With all of her power and the element of surprise on her side, she rammed him from the side, causing him to fall right into the hatch. Reflexively, the soldier grabbed the edge of it, holding on and almost immediately trying to pull himself up.

„No you WON’T!“ Cardia shouted as she got up from where she had fallen down and jumped on his fingers with all her might. There was a disgusting sound of bones breaking, but the soldier didn’t even wince. He truly was a monster bred to fight. However, not even a monster could hold on with broken fingers. His right hand slipped off, dangling somewhat lifeless from his torso. Cardia was convinced that his left hand would follow, but to her surprise, the soldier found some strength to haul his left arm onto the floor with a jerk, trying to shift his weight onto it.

Panic seized Cardia’s heart.

She looked frantically from one side to the other, unsure of what to do, when she saw Impey’s wrench. Cardia didn’t hesitate long, grabbed it and let out a scream as she brought it down on his forehead, almost able to feel the sickening crunch of the soldier’s forehead splitting open. He let out a grunt, then he finally let go, sliding into the opening. Cardia immediately shuffled forward. She had to make sure he was really gone, still managing to catch a glimpse of the soldier falling through the clouds and into the darkness surrounding them. 

Despite being exhausted, there was no time to relax. Anxiously, Cardia crawled over to where Impey was, laying in a puddle of blood.

„Impey!“ Cardia called out to him and gently lifted his head to her lap. „Impey, oh god, please talk to me!“

He opened his eyes slowly and Cardia was glad to see that he looked quite alert.

„It’s alright, Cardia, I’m fine.“

„B-but you’re bleeding heavily!“

„That’s because that bastard missed my heart only by an inch or so.“

Cardia felt sick with worry, color draining out of her face. Upon seeing it, Impey himself panicked and quickly attempted to calm her down. He propped himself up on his elbows, then pushed himself up from the floor so that he could sit and lean against the wall.

„Honestly, I’m going to be fine! Have you forgotten that us vampires have accelerated healing powers? I’m going to be same old Impey in no time!“

He coughed forcefully, spitting up yet more blood, then looked sheepishly at Cardia.

„Well, maybe it’ll take a while before I’m as good as new…“

„Impey, that is not a joke! It’s your health that is at stake, we cannot risk it!“ Cardia flew into his face, but instantly felt guilty when she saw how worn out he looked. She gently stroked his cheek and continued speaking in a soft voice.

„I’m just worried about you… I want to help you, but I don’t know how…“

Impey smiled and carefully tucked loose strand of her hair behind her ear. 

„Just you being here with me right now is all that I need to feel better,“ Impey murmured and cupped her face gently with his hands. Cardia could feel her heart beating forcefully in her chest, but for an entirely different reason. This time, there was no one there to interrupt them.

Impey’s kiss was soft and cautious, so unlike any of the kisses Cardia had shared with the other guys before. It was almost as if he was unsure if she was fine with it. Eagerly, Cardia reciprocated, first moving her lips against his, then parting them slowly to grant him access. Impey ran his tongue along her lower lip with an agonizing slowness, then dipped it into her mouth. 

Cardia moaned softly and wrapped her arms around his neck, causing him to wince. Immediately, Cardia broke away from him and looked alarmed.

„I’m so sorry! Does it hurt? Should we stop? Maybe it’s better if we-„ she sputtered, but was interrupted by Impey touching her lips with his index finger.

„I told you already, it’s fine. It’s actually more than fine…“ he whispered and bent down to continue the kiss. He took Cardia’s wrists and led them back to his neck, encouraging her to wrap them around again, then his fingers wandered to the buttons of her blouse. They came undone in a jiffy due to the incredible dexterity Impey possessed. After pushing the fabric down her right shoulder, Impey moved to the side of Cardia’s neck, starting to pepper her skin with multiple small, feather-light kisses.

As he reached the spot where her jugular vein was located, he could instantly feel its fervid pulsing against his lips. His wound suddenly ached a lot more and a pesky little voice at the back of his mind urged him to have ‚just a small, tiny taste of her‘. 

Impey had almost forgotten about this sensation. It had been so long since he had last hungered for blood like that. Maybe it was because he was injured and weakened, but nothing seemed more appetizing and enticing in that very moment, than Cardia’s blood.

With a strangled sound, he pressed his lips to her throat and parted them, his fangs grazing her skin ever so slightly. Just as he was about to sink them into her flesh, he caught himself and jerked his head back, staring at Cardia with wide eyes. 

„Oh my god…! I can’t believe what I just… what I nearly…!“

Impey was beside himself, shocked and disgusted at his own actions. When he attempted to pull away from Cardia, she held him in place.

„Impey? What’s wrong? Why are you so upset?“

„You’re asking why I’m so upset? I nearly bit you, Cardia! I almost lost control of myself and… and…“

„I don’t understand,“ Cardia said calmly, looking him straight in the eyes. Impey looked flabbergasted. 

„What do you mean ‚you don’t understand‘? What’s not there to understand?“

„I don’t understand why you think it is a bad thing. Or why you’re ashamed right now. You are hurt. It’s only normal that your body would be craving blood to replenish your own.“

„But I don’t want to hurt you!“

„And you won’t!“

Cardia took his hands into hers and squeezed them lovingly. 

„I promise you, I wouldn’t be saying this if I didn’t believe it. Don’t fight against this, Impey. Don’t fight against your instinct.“

She let go of his hands and instead moved to collect all of her hair and put it on her other shoulder, thereby exposing her skin to him. It was an enticing look that made Impey’s pulse race. Cardia settled on his lap, running her hand over his chest to his shoulder and further to his neck, gently leading him down to her vein.

Cardia sighed when Impey’s lips made contact with her bare skin again. She couldn’t help but feel excited for some reason. It was still evident however that Impey was still hesitant, trying to hold back, as his fangs were not even close to touching her. Cardia slightly turned her head and whispered into his ear, her voice heavy.

„Just let it happen, Impey. I want this more than you could ever imagine…“

With a small, but husky groan, Impey finally gave in and once more gently ran his fangs along the outline of her jugular before sinking them into her skin. Immediately, his nostrils were filled with the sweet smell of her blood and despite his hunger, he sucked it slowly, tenderly. Cardia on the other hand was flooded with a wave of pleasure she would never have imagined. The feeling of being in such a vulnerable yet intimate and sensual situation, with a person she utterly trusted, turned her on beyond comprehension. 

„Impey…“ she moaned and threw her head back in ecstasy.

Impey honestly hadn’t expected Cardia to enjoy it as much as she did. He had been convinced she had only said it to make him feel better and to do something for him that she actually didn’t want to do. However, the softly uttered sounds of pleasure from Cardia were making it more than clear that getting her blood sucked by him was nothing short of enjoyable to her.

The fact that Cardia was being so utterly lost in pleasure, pleasure that he had caused, immensely aroused him. His member was already straining angrily against the fabric of his pants.

Even though only a couple of minutes had passed, he could feel his energy returning to him, so he decided that that would have to be enough. He pulled away from Cardia’s neck and licked the remaining drops of blood from his lips. Cardia looked at him with half-lidded eyes and flushed face and Impey drank in the beautiful sight of her. He had always thought that she was the most gorgeous girl he had ever seen in his life, but right in that moment, her appearance was like that of an angel.

Cardia leaned forward and started kissing a trail from his chin along his jawline until she reached his ear. 

„More…“ she whispered. „I want more…“

„No, Cardia. That’s more than enough blood I have taken from you. Any more and it could weaken you.“

She looked somewhat disappointed.

„But… it made me feel… it felt so…“

„I know. It was exactly like that for me, too…“ Impey replied and it was at that moment that Cardia finally took notice of the rather sizeable bulge pressing against her. 

They looked at each other for a moment, neither of them saying anything, before their lips met once more. Almost at the same time, Cardia started fumbling with Impey’s undershirt, while Impey continued to unbutton her blouse and stripped it off of her. Cardia broke the kiss just for a moment to lift the garment up over his head, tossing it to one side. Impey sure didn’t appear that way when he was fully dressed, but he was far more muscular than Cardia had thought. She let her index finger run over his pectoral muscles and came to a halt when she reached the spot where the Nightfall soldier had injured him. 

Instead of a gruesome, open wound, she found that her blood had already accelerated his natural healing powers and reduced the injury to an inflamed area of skin and a somewhat large scar. The realization that it was her blood that had done that, made her heart flutter.

Impey smiled at her expression and pulled her in for another kiss, before wandering down across the delicate skin of her throat to her creamy breasts. Cardia gasped in surprise when he drew in a nipple into his mouth and started sucking on it gently. He did the same with her other nipple, enjoying the little mewls of pleasure coming from her.

It was not enough, though. Not by a long shot. He wanted more and it was evident that Cardia was gradually feeling the same way.

When he stopped, he moved his hands to the waistband of her pants, unbuttoning it before pulling it down. Immediately, Impey put his fingers against the heated flesh of her vulva and started caressing her clitoris in a slow, deliberate circling motion. A moan escaped Cardia and her hips bucked slightly at the sudden contact. With his other hand, Impey drew his index and middle finger across her opening, then carefully slipped them inside.

By now, Cardia was unable to keep her voice down and the sounds coming from her were the most wonderful thing Impey had ever heard. He alternated the speed of his strokes, first slowly, then a bit faster and back to a rhythmic pattern. Impey was so entranced by the sight of her, that her pleasure became the most important thing in that very moment.

He wanted nothing more than to see her come undone.

Cardia’s breathing became more labored and Impey was sure she wasn’t too far off from orgasm. In between strokes, Impey crooked his fingers, an action that made her see white. Spurred on by her reaction, he did it again and again and again, until she finally came apart.

„That was absolutely beautiful…“ he whispered as he watched her catch her breath again.

With a flushed face and a look of utter satisfaction painted on her face, she looked deeply into his eyes while her hands wandered down to his pants. Impey didn’t hesitate long and lifted his hips to help her get them off of him.

His erection sprung free and Cardia wrapped her hand around it to give him a few, short pumps before leading him to her entrance. Impey let her take complete control, watching her in fascination as she positioned and then lowered herself on him. 

The sensation of being inside her was almost overwhelming and Impey closed his eyes trying to keep himself from coming all too soon. For a while they just enjoyed being so close to each other, then finally, Cardia started to move. Impey in turn eagerly thrust up into her and soon they both fell into a steady rhythm.

Impey had to admit that Cardia knew what she was doing, how to apply just the right pressure on his throbbing member to drive him wild. He groaned when he hit a spot deep within her and listened to her scream out in ecstasy.

It wouldn’t take much longer, he was sure of that. Already, his movements became more faster and irregular and from the sound of her moans, Cardia was not too far off either. 

„Cardia, I’m… I’m coming…“ he groaned and could only manage a couple of thrusts more before he climaxed.

„Impey…!“ Cardia moaned as she, too, was driven over the edge and came for a second time.

As they lay spent next to each other, Impey wrapped his arms around Cardia’s waist, enjoying the feeling of utter closeness and intimacy.  
The soothing sound of steam emerging from the airship and the feeling of being safe in the knowledge that they had managed to get away from danger and that they would be home soon, both soon lulled them into sleep.

However, they were both unaware of the things that were yet to unfold.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've finally finished the fourth chapter... I would like to apologize for making you guys wait so long for this. Part of the reason is that I've been a proud cat mama since the end of June and I spent the first weeks completely focusing on the small one instead of writing. Work has been quite stressful too, so it kind of got postponed even more.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this one! :)


	5. Code: Realize

Around the time the sun was setting over London, Victor Frankenstein was making his way to Cardia’s room. 

The ugly scene that had unfolded in Saint-Germain’s lounge just one week earlier had changed the entire atmosphere and dynamic in the mansion. Whereas before everyone had been working and living together as a close-knit group, that incident was single-handedly responsible for driving a visible wedge between Helsing and Lupin. They hadn’t been great talkers before, but now they completely avoided each other’s company. When they ran into each other in the corridor, they tended to react with nothing but irritation.

Both of them were usually calm and composed men who would have rather died than lose their cool, but Victor was sure that they were both a powder keg waiting to explode. For the moment it was best for them to stay away from each other.

However, they weren’t the only ones who had been affected by that day. 

It was no secret that Impey had had feelings for Cardia pretty much since the first moment he’d laid eyes on her. Admittedly, all of them were infatuated with Cardia, but Impey was the one who had been in the love for the longest time and he had taken it badly.  
So much so that he had chosen to hide away from the others and especially Cardia in his shack.

Since then, Cardia had spent many mornings and evenings trying to get him to come out. After almost a week of it all, it was getting too much for the alchemist to see her return to the mansion with disappointment clouding her features and unshed tears in the corners of her eyes.

Victor came to a halt in front of her door and knocked twice.

„Cardia? Dinner will be ready soon. Would you like to accompany me for a short walk in the garden? The flowers are in exceptionally beautiful bloom this time of the year,“ he said, but there was no reply.

Victor sighed. 

„Cardia, please. Don’t be stubborn.“

Silence, again.

‚How strange,‘ Victor thought. Cardia wasn’t angry with him, so there was no reason to give him the silent treatment.

„Cardia?“ he asked, once more knocking gently against the wood before putting his hand on the knob and turning it. The door opened with a creak and revealed an empty room. 

„Huh… I guess she must be somewhere else…“ he muttered and closed the door again. Turning on his heel, he walked back through the corridor and went to the lounge where he assumed she could be. When that, too, failed to let him find her, he decided to pay a visit to Impey’s shack. 

However, as soon as he stepped out into the back yard, he halted. Something very distinctive was missing. Something that should have been there, but wasn’t. 

„The airship!“ Victor spluttered as an ominous feeling gripped his heart and sent jolts of panic through his system. He hastily jogged to the small shack and pulled open the door without knocking, whereupon his hunch was confirmed. 

Not only Cardia was missing, but Impey too. And on top of that, the airship was gone.

„Shit!“

Victor slammed the door shut and ran inside the mansion as fast as his feet would carry him, to Saint-Germain’s study and hammered on his door. 

„Saint-Germain? I need to talk to you! Urgently!“

Just a couple of seconds later, the door flew open and Victor looked into the surprised face of the Count. 

„Victor? What happened?“

At the far end of the corridor, the young alchemist could hear another door opening and turned his head to see Lupin approaching them quickly, looking worried.

„C-Cardia… she’s gone. So is Impey. But that’s not all…“

Lupin had now come to a halt next to them and the sound of more footsteps on the carpet notified them of the arrival of Helsing. 

„The airship is gone, too.“

Saint-Germain’s eyes widened at that.

„Are you sure?“

„Yes, I am a 100% certain. I’ve looked for them in the mansion but I couldn’t find them. It seems like they’ve left.“

„That stupid IDIOT!“ Lupin exclaimed, drawing their full attention to him.

Before they could say anything, he had already stormed off, fuming, shouting curses at Impey after every single step. Alarmed, Victor followed right on his heel and watched him as he made his way to the front door.

„Lupin? Where are you going?“ 

Victor gasped for air, thinking ‚Damn, why the hell is this guy so fast?!‘ as he tried to keep up.

„Where do you think I’m going?! I’m going to get Leonhardt. We need to find those two before Aleister and Twilight, let along Nightfall, can get to them!“

As he grasped the doorknob, Lupin came to an abrupt halt, causing Victor to almost run into him. He looked back at him over his shoulder, his facial expression suddenly not one of fury but softer. Worried.

„…you stay here, Victor. If Impey and Cardia return before I’m back with Leonhardt and the royal guard, make sure that you take them inside the mansion and keep them from leaving again. I want to at least be safe in the knowledge that there’s someone here who looks after them. We cannot… we just can’t let Aleister win.“

With that, he opened the door and rushed out, letting it slam shut.

He didn’t get to hear Victor’s quiet „I will“.

~~**~~

More than sixty, excruciating minutes had already passed and Lupin was still to return to the mansion. 

Victor was a bundle of nerves, shuffling from one spot in the lounge to the other, sitting down one moment, then jumping up and pacing the length of the room back and forth the next. He knew that it wasn’t a short distance between there and Buckingham Palace, but that didn’t help much to ease his restlessness.

„Victor. Stop it, already. Your constant jitteriness isn’t gonna bring Lupin home any sooner,“ Helsing eventually uttered in annoyance. „And“ he added, „you’re just making us all more nervous than we already am“. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, his gaze fixed on a nonspecific spot on the wall.

„I’m sorry. It’s just that… I’m extremely-„

„Worried? So are we all. Let’s just wait for Lupin to return.“

As soon as these words had passed Helsing’s lips, they heard some noise at the front door. Victor was the first one to jump up and rush out of the lounge toward the direction of the entrance hall. When he entered it, he saw Lupin taking off his hat and offering to take Leonhardt’s coat, which he politely declined. It seemed so utterly normal, way too normal for the situation they were faced with.

Upon seeing Victor, Lupin’s perfectly stoic mask cracked the tiniest bit. 

„Victor. Have they returned?“

He knew even before Victor could answer him, saw it in the way his facial expression clouded with pain. 

„Not yet.“

„I see…“ Lupin answered, his voice trailing off before he pulled himself together and put his composed, calm mask back in place. 

„Well, Leonhardt, I think we shouldn’t be losing any more time.“

„I agree, Lupin. The sooner I am informed about all the details, the sooner I can send out my men to act.“

Before Lupin could answer, the door opened and Saint-Germain as well as Helsing entered the hall. 

„Now then,“ Leonhardt added, turning to Lupin, „shall we head out?“

„Yes, definitely.“

Lupin opened the door and led Leonhardt outside, with Victor, Saint-Germain and Helsing following on their heels. They walked around the perimeter of the mansion, making their way along the trees lining the sides.

When they arrived in the backyard, Leonhardt walked with Lupin to where the group’s airship was usually parked. Victor watched the head of the royal guard kneel down to examine the marks on the ground left by the airship’s gondola as it took off. Leonhardt pulled one of his gloves off his hand and ran his fingers through the grooves, crumbling the earth between his fingers, before getting up and walking over to the trees while putting the glove back on. His soldiers followed him in silence.

„Would you tell me one thing, Lupin? Has Impey made any changes or enhancements to your airship?“ Leonhardt asked.

An expression of confusion crossed Lupin’s features for a moment before he replied.

„Uh, yes, he has. He is constantly reconstructing and improving things. Why?“

„Do you see the impressive damage to the three… four… no, five treetops over there?“ Leonhardt inquired, pointing towards the trees in front of them. „I have seen a few ruffled treetops and piles of leaves on the ground, but the treetops here have had quite an excessive amount of what looks like burn damage. Do you see the cluster of ash on the ground?“ 

„I do.“

„Well, judging on that alone, it tells me that the steam emission has been increased to balance out the stronger propulsion of the airship. We have never dealt with an airship like that before.“

Lupin looked at Leonhardt with a look of annoyance and confusion.

„So what are you meaning to tell me with this?“

Leonhardt crossed his arms behind his back and turned around to face him, looking quite solemn.

„…I will be honest with you, Lupin. I… don’t think that we can locate the airship that way. My men are accustomed to a slightly or non-modified airship and locating its position even hours after it left, but with Impey there are just too many unknown factors.“

Lupin’s mask of strained composure fell from his face immediately.

„So what do you mean? You’re just gonna give up on finding them?“

Leonhardt shook his head. 

„No, of course not! I will send my men out, but… there’s just no guarantee we will find them. I’d recommend you to return to the mansion and wait while my men do their job. All we can do is hope that eventually, they’ll return unharmed and our worries were for nothing.“

„Return to the-! But Leonhardt! You can’t expect us all to just sit still and pretend like Cardia and Impey aren’t in grave danger!“

Leonhardt averted his gaze, instead fixing it on an unspecified spot on the grass.

„…that’s all I can tell you, Lupin,“ he replied, then looking back into his eyes and taking a step closer, putting his hand on Lupin’s shoulder. „Whether or not you do it is of course up to you, but remember, that Aleister is out there, waiting for a chance to make a move. Please promise me you won’t do anything rash.“

Lupin clicked his tongue in annoyance.

„I know better than anyone else how dangerous Aleister is. I’ve seen what he’s done to Helsing. That’s exactly why I told them…!“ 

„I understand you, Lupin. We all want them to return safely and I promise you that me and my men will try their best to bring them back home.“

Lupin was silent for a moment. Eventually he sighed, looking defeated.

„Alright. We’ll be in the mansion, awaiting word from your men. However, if you need any assistance, be sure to let us know immediately.“

Leonhardt nodded. 

„I will.“

He turned around, the softness on his face making way for resolve.

„Alright, it’s time to get to work,“ Leonhardt clapped his hands twice, addressing his men. „You will be split into four groups of ten. The first group will search in the North, from Barnet to Kensington. The second group will get the East, from Crayford to Southwark. The third will focus on the South. Banstead to Lambeth. And the last group will search the West. From Hillingdon to Fulham.“

He then turned to the small group of backup soldiers who had arrived in the meantime.

„You will head to the outskirts of the city, in groups of three, to stand guard. Should you see the airship returning or anything suspicious happening, I expect you to report to me immediately.“

Leonhardt’s men acknowledged his orders with a salute and a sharp „Yes, sir!“ and headed out.

He watched them and when they had disappeared into the woods, he turned back to Lupin one last time. 

„I swear, I’ll try everything I can to get her back to you“

~~**~~

The silence in the lounge was deafening. 

Several hours had already passed. Outside, a new day was almost dawning, but there was yet no news of Cardia and Impey. While Victor, Helsing and Saint-Germain sat in armchairs with grave expressions, hardly moving an inch, Lupin was pacing up and down the room. Each and every step seemed to get more hasty, more anxious, more unhinged. The others had never seen the gentleman thief behave like that.

„Why hasn’t he contacted us yet?“ he uttered, his voice barely above a whisper. The others tiredly lifted their heads to look at him.

„Hours have gone by and so far nothing! And they’re calling themselves the Royal Guard? This is ridiculous!“ 

„Lupin, please…“

„Oh be quiet, Victor! You’re thinking the same thing! Everyone here does! I should have just gone out and searched for them myself…!“

„Lupin… please…“ Saint-Germain sighed, rubbing his temple slowly. He looked up at him, his eyes tired and dull. „Give it a rest…“

„Give it a rest?! Cardia and Impey are missing, we have no idea whether they’re safe or in danger, alive or dead and you’re telling me to „give it a rest“?!“

„Do you honestly think you’re the only one worried sick about their condition, Lupin? Do you think we’re just sitting here, thinking about tomorrow’s groceries, twirling our thumbs? I am just as agitated as you are, but we’ve handed this over to Leonhardt, so we need to wait and trust in him and his men’s abilities. They’re stationed at every important place in London, keeping their eyes open. If anything happens, they’ll let us know.“

Lupin ground his teeth, trying to swallow his anger. 

„And you can just accept that and continue to sit here.“

„Yes, I can, because I have no other choice. None of us do.“

„Listen, Saint German,“ Lupin snarled, his voice getting louder, „I’ve had enough of you behaving like the boss of us!“ 

He got in the Count’s face, grabbing the collar of his suit and pulling him up to his feet. Alarmed, Victor and Helsing jumped from their seats.

„Lupin, stop it!“ Victor cried. 

Helsing instinctively took a step closer, putting his hand on Lupin’s arm. 

„Let go of him, Lupin,“ he said, his voice as collected as it could be, given the situation.

„Don’t you fucking touch me, Helsing,“ Lupin uttered, his voice low and menacing.

„What is wrong with you all of a sudden? That’s not the Lupin I know…“ Victor said, his voice pained.

Lupin turned to him, his eyes wide open and blazing with fury. He let go of Saint-Germain and strode up to him until he was way too close for comfort.

„‚What is wrong with me?‘ You want to know what’s ‚wrong with me‘?! I will tell you what’s wrong with me, Victor! I’ve had enough of it all. I’ve had enough of having to try and keep it together for everyone while everyone else is just busy causing trouble!“ 

Victor was speechless, unable to say anything as they watched the usually composed Lupin lose his cool. Saint-Germain watched the scene unfold, seemingly stoic, yet there was worry etched on his face once one looked closer. 

But while the other two were anxious, Helsing however, seemed to get annoyed as the seconds ticked by. Eventually, he had had enough.

„Oh for crying out loud, stop it, Lupin. I know full well what your problem is.“

Lupin turned around slowly and shot Helsing a look that was pure daggers.

„Do you now, Helsing?“ he said and walked over to the other man.

„Yeah, I do. It’s clear as day. Your issue is that we have had „something“ you haven’t yet had and that „something“ is Car-„

Loud and resounding rapping at the front door interrupted Helsing mid-sentence. 

The men all shot each other a quick, knowing look, before springing into action. Lupin was faster out of the door than anyone else, but Helsing, Victor and Saint-Germain were right on his heels.

As they approached the front door, they heard a voice that accompanied the knocking. 

„It’s me, Leonhardt! I have news for you about Cardia and Impey!“

Lupin swung the door open and Leonhardt stumbled a few steps into the entrance hall, his hair disheveled, his breathing labored. He looked like he had just run a marathon. 

„Well, what is it? Have you found them?“ Lupin urged as Leonhardt tried frantically to catch his breath.

„We have. Or at least we think it is them. There is a flying object, assumed to be a small airship, approaching London pretty quickly. My men have spotted it roughly 20 minutes ago and according to the anticipated flight path, it’s heading right for the mansion.“

„That has got to be them,“ Helsing said and the others nodded in agreement.

„How can you be so sure though? According to the information I received from you, the airship was at least three times larger!“

At that, Lupin chuckled.

„Knowing Impey, he most certainly built an emergency airship, just in case. That’s the kind of thing he likes to do: Always thinking one step ahead. And it seems like his hunch was right.“

„Are you sure that they’ll be here in just a couple of minutes?“ Saint-Germain asked, taking a couple of steps forward.

„Yes, that’s why I came to you as fast as possible. Do you know how difficult it is, trying to run through almost the entire city while trying to arrive before an extremely fast, flying object? And as a middle-aged man? I’m surprised I’m still alive…“ Leonhardt replied, still wheezing.

A couple of moments later, there was a muffled whirring sound coming from outside. 

„Seems like you miscalculated by a few minutes there, Leonhardt. Or you weren’t as fast as you thought you would be,“ Helsing said with a chuckle and gave him a pat on the back before following Lupin who had broken out into a run towards the garden first.

Upon arriving, the group of men watched as a small airship appeared in the distance and approached the mansion with a slow, but steady pace. Once it reached the garden, it hovered in the air for a minute or so, before landing on the grass. 

No one said a word, as if speaking would make the airship mysteriously disappear, so they watched silently as the door on the side of the cockpit opened. As it lowered down, Lupin took a few careful steps forward.

Out of the darkness of the ship’s interior, he could first hear footsteps, then an all too familiar voice that filled his heart with happiness and relief.

„Impey, wake up, I think we have landed!“

Overwhelmed with emotion, Lupin could just not wait anymore. 

„Cardia!“ he called and mere moments later, her surprised face appeared in the doorway.

„Lupin! Helsing! Saint-Germain! Victor! It really worked! We’re back home!“ she exclaimed, her voice filled with excitement.

Cardia took a few steps down the ramp, but didn’t get any farther as she was met halfway by Lupin, who pulled her into an almost crushing embrace.

„Cardia! I’m so glad you’re fine…“ he mumbled, burying his face in her luscious brunette locks.

„Lupin, I can’t breathe!“ Cardia squealed, patting his back repeatedly until he slackened his grip. Still, he kept on encircling her with his arms, as if he was afraid of her disappearing if he let go.

„Where in the hell have you been? We’ve been worried sick all this time!“ 

Cardia sheepishly looked to the side, avoiding his gaze, before answering.

„That’s… kind of a long story. Maybe we should go back inside first, I’m honestly exhausted.“

„Sure, Cardia. We can talk about this later,“ Saint-Germain replied. „Where is Impey by the way?“

Just as he had said it, Impey appeared in the doorway of the airship, dozily rubbing his eyes.

Upon seeing him, Lupin felt like his blood froze in his veins. Impey was in a state of being half undressed, pants unbuttoned and almost sliding down his frame until he realized it and bashfully pulled them up in a hurry. It was then that Lupin properly looked at Cardia in his arms, who wore not much more than her white undergarments. Their unlaced, slightly disheveled state, gave Lupin quite a clear picture as to what had been happening on that airship.

If Lupin wasn’t one thing, it was being a fool and judging by the reaction of his companions, they, too, had realized it. He could see it in the way they looked from Impey to Cardia and then to Lupin almost at the same time, their facial expressions pitiful, as if they were saying: ‚Oh look at that poor guy. The odd-one-out. The only one.‘

All of a sudden he felt sick to his stomach.

When he let go of Cardia, she looked at him, her face showing the smallest bit on confusion and surprise at his sudden change in demeanor, but she didn’t question him.

Lupin felt thankful when Saint-Germain took over from there and escorted Cardia and Impey back into the mansion along with Helsing, Victor and Leonhardt. Lupin felt like he had been set into autopilot mode as he followed the others inside.

Cardia and Impey retreated to their rooms for a couple of hours to get some rest, while the others decided to do the same. Staying up the entire night sick with worry had drained them all of their energy, but Lupin found himself restless.

How could he even think about getting some rest and sleeping when he had just been confronted with an incredibly hurtful fact: Cardia didn’t want him. He wasn’t good enough. 

It was no wonder that Lupin would lay awake the entire time, tossing and turning, until Victor knocked on his door.

„Lupin? Are you awake? Saint-Germain has asked us all to gather in the lounge. Impey and Cardia have rested enough and feel like they can now tell us what has happened. Do you want to join us?“

If he was being honest, then no, he didn’t want to join them. He felt more like hiding in his room from then until the end of days, but he also knew that he needed to know where Impey and Cardia had been all this time.

„I’m coming…“ he answered, before mustering up the energy to roll out of bed.

He followed Victor to the lounge in silence and was being extremely grateful for the fact that he didn’t try and make conversation. Victor had always been a very sensitive person who was able to read the atmosphere surrounding him and react accordingly. But while Lupin was thankful, he also felt terrible at the same time, knowing that the silence between them was heavy with unspoken commiseration.

When they reached the lounge, the others were already there. Cardia sat in the middle of the large settee, while Impey opted to stand by the fireplace, leaning against it with his arms crossed. He was trying to look relaxed, but everyone could feel the tense atmosphere. Lupin walked over to the armchair that was the farthest away from them.

„Well then,“ Saint-Germain said as Victor closed the door behind him. „I think it’s time we talk about what has happened in these past 12 or so hours. Impey?“

Impey flinched and gave one his sheepish smiles before moving away from the fireplace and starting to pace behind the settee while speaking.

„Alright, um, so… after Cardia visited me, I thought it might be a nice idea to take her for a short flight over London in our airship. You know, nothing much, just… showing her the wonderful view and trying to take her mind off of things…“

„‚Short flight‘? You guys were gone for half a day. I’d hardly call that a ‚short flight‘,“ Helsing noted, his voice dripping with his usual sarcasm.

„…I was about to get to that, actually,“ Impey replied, laughing nervously. „Well, as we were in the sky and about to return… we might have… been attacked by Nemo… as well as an army of Nightfall and Twilight soldiers, which is why we have gotten held up“ he continued, rushing the last part in the hope that the others wouldn’t be able to catch it.

But they did. Impey could have heard the pin of a needle drop, it was that quiet, if only for a matter of moments.

„Excuse me, but **WHAT** did you just say?!“ Lupin shouted, jumping up from where he was sitting.

„Oh, I cannot believe my fucking ears,“ Helsing groaned and rubbed his temples.

Victor was speechless, his mouth dropping open in shock. 

„Impey… Cardia… please tell me that isn’t true…“ Saint-Germain asked, his voice pained.

Cardia avoided his gaze, instead focusing on the intricate design of the Persian carpet that graced the lounge’s floor. 

Impey remained silent for a moment, then took a deep breath and answered.

„It is true. I’m so sorry, Saint-Germain. I didn’t think consider the possibility of that happening.“

Before Saint-Germain could reply, however, Lupin was the one to respond to that.

„What was that?! You „didn’t consider it“?! We have been talking about this many, many times and especially after they nearly managed to kill Abraham van fucking Helsing of all people, we agreed to be more careful and not split up! Did you even listen to all of that or were you busy thinking about your newest invention?!“

The others were stunned into silence as they watched the usually calm and collected Lupin lose his cool.

„We are not talking about a group of teenage delinquents, we are talking about the single most dangerous organization in England with an army of especially bred soldiers that are just WAITING for the perfect opportunity to get their hands on Cardia and the rest of us and make sure we won’t be seeing the light of day any longer!“

With each and every word shouted by Lupin, Impey was seemingly shrinking more and more in size. 

„How many were there?!“ Lupin asked, looking deeply frightening. Impey had never seen his companion behave like that.

„I-I don’t know…“

**„HOW MANY?!“**

„I told you, I don’t know! I only saw a couple of Twilight and Nightfall soldiers, who knows how many more were hiding on Nemo’s airship!“ Impey shot back.

„Guys, please. Let’s not get too emotional and talk about this calmly and-„

„Victor, I’d honestly recommend you to stay out of this or else I can’t guarantee what happens…“ Lupin snarled.

Taken aback, Victor fell silent, as Lupin turned back to Impey.

„There’s also one more thing you’ve stayed quite mum on so far… have you two been attacked?“

„…yes,“ Impey answered after a long pause. „One lone Nightfall soldier managed to sneak onto our emergency airship and attacked us after we had successfully gotten away from Nemo. While I was fighting him, Cardia opened the hatch I had hidden in the floor and we managed to shove him out of the airship.“

For a moment it looked like it took the utmost of effort for Lupin not to jump at Impey. He clenched his fists until the bones of his knuckles shone white through his skin, his breathing deep and labored. 

„…you two could have died, are you even **aware** of that?! I am so… no, disappointed and angry is way too soft an expression for the emotion I’m feeling right now. To be fully honest with you, Impey, I don’t know if can trust you anymore.“

„Lupin, don’t you think you’re overreacting a little bit?“ 

Helsing, who had gotten up from his seat and carefully taken a couple of steps closer to Lupin, put his hand on his shoulder in an attempt to pull him out of his rage.

„First of all, Helsing: Don’t touch me. Second: I am overreacting? Have you perhaps missed the fact that these two completely went against everything we’ve told them and put their and our lives in jeopardy?!“

„I haven’t and I agree with you that it was a careless thing to do. But still, you don’t have to be _that_ hard on them, now do you?“

Lupin looked from Helsing to Impey and Cardia, took in their shocked, almost frightened expressions, before looking back to him. The anger was still bubbling up in his chest and Lupin felt overwhelmed by it, unable of finding a rational way to deal with it. Not with all the other emotions fueling the flames of rage.

„You know what? Fuck all of this. I’m leaving.“

He shot one more furious look in Impey’s and Cardia’s direction, then he turned on his heel and stormed out of the lounge.

„Lupin, wait!“ Helsing shouted and ran after him.

Helsing managed to catch his arm as Lupin was already almost halfway around the corner, but still within earshot of the open door where everyone else still was.

„Will you please stop for a second?!“ 

„What is it, Helsing? I’m not really in the mood to keep this up for much longer.“

„What the **_hell_** is wrong with you?! You’re not behaving like yourself today and on top of that, you’re scaring Cardia shitless!“

„…that’s nothing compared to the scare she and Impey gave me!“

„Alright, I fucking get it, you’re furious. But I’ve known you for quite a while now Lupin and I just know that this isn’t the entire reason for you exploding into their faces.“

Lupin furrowed his brows.

„What do you mean?“

Helsing sighed, then continued, his voice slightly lowered.

„There has got to be another reason for you being so angry. You’re usually very calm and collected and until today I was actually pretty much convinced you could never hurt a fly. So something must have happened. Out with it.“

Lupin hesitated for a moment. He and Helsing had never been particularly close, but he would have to lie if he didn’t think that they had a lot in common. It wasn’t just their principles or the way they approached problems, it was also their sense of honesty and integrity. So even though they might quarrel or otherwise have a problem with each other, they both couldn’t help but trust and respect the other one.

„…you know full well what my problem is,“ he answered, looking over his shoulder before continuing in a hushed voice. „You’ve seen them too. You’ve seen how Impey and Cardia have stepped out of the airship, now have you?“

„You mean…?“

„Exactly. It was pretty clear what has been going on up there.“

Helsing shook his head and a small chuckle escaped him.

„You think this is funny?“ Lupin snarled. „Because I sure as hell don’t.“

„Oh, don’t be ridiculous now, Arséne. You’re angry because they had sex?“

„I am angry because they nearly got themselves killed **and** decided to celebrate that with a „shag in the sky“!“

„Is that what you’ve been telling yourself? Because it sure as hell ain’t convincing me.“

„Listen, I don’t give a shit if you believe me or not. I just know that we’ve been having talks about this already. We all agreed on not doing reckless things that might a) split the group up and b) drive a wedge between us. And Impey has managed to do both with just one stupid decision!“

Lupin finally yanked his arm out of Helsing’s grip before continuing in a louder voice to make sure that the others would hear him this time.

„As far as I’m concerned, he doesn’t need to show his face in front of me anymore.“

Helsing was left speechless, as the latter turned around and disappeared behind the corner for good.

~~**~~

Over the course of the next two weeks, Lupin stayed true to his words, avoiding Impey at every single possible moment. Since breakfast meant inevitably running into him, Lupin started not joining them in the morning. Whenever he ran into him in the hallways of the mansion, he turned around, walking the other way, ignoring the other’s desperate tries to rekindle their companionship.

For Cardia, this development was especially painful. The girl had already started to hear a small, nagging voice in the back of her head that was trying to convince her that, really, all of this was just her fault. Seeing the former inseparable duo totally avoid each other and turn from comrades to strangers made her feel like the fact that she walked into their lives was the worst thing that could have happened to them. 

She, too, began to notice differences in the way Lupin treated her. 

While he didn’t avoid her per se, his behavior towards her was utterly bizarre. He reduced spoken words to her to a bare minimum, seemed like he was just waiting to get out of the room whenever he ran into her and generally made her feel like was most unwelcome and unwanted.

It all came to a head one morning, when the girl felt she couldn’t endure it anymore. 

In her desperate state, she needed to talk to someone who would understand her, but who would also have a more neutral perspective on it all.

Not long after breakfast, Cardia found herself in front of Saint-Germain’s study and lightly knocked the door a couple of times.

„Come in!“ she heard his muffled voice and opened the door.

Saint-Germain was sitting by his desk, deeply concentrated on the papers in front of him. When he saw Cardia step into the room however, his focus was immediately drawn to her.

„Cardia? Is there something the matter?“ he asked as he got up from his seat.

„Saint-Germain, there is something I need to talk to you about. Do you have a minute?“

„For you, always, my dear Cardia,“ he replied, gently putting his hand on her back and leading her to the chair.

Cardia sat down and waited until he too took his place opposite her.

„…Saint-Germain… there is something that I need to ask you. It is… something I’ve been asking myself for a while now and the recent turn of events has only managed to find myself asking it almost all the time…“ 

Saint-Germain looked at her with an expression that was one of confusion and worry.

„There have been so many things happening to everyone in this mansion and there is no denying that they have been happening because of my presence in everyone’s lives. I haven’t missed the fact that this does not only mean that the others are living in constant danger of being attacked and possibly killed, it also means that the relationships, the friendships, the camaraderie between each and every one has been put to a harsh test because of me.“

She took a deep breath before saying what had been on her mind for quite a while.

„Saint-Germain, do you think it would have been better if I had never walked into your lives?“

A heavy silence fell between them, not because the Count had to think about her words, but because he was rendered speechless by them.

„Cardia… how can you say such a thing? The fact that you turned up has enriched our lives beyond belief!“

„But how can this be when I see what is happening all around me? The fact that I’ve had intimate relationships with almost everyone here has only served to cause pain, anger, frustration and even hatred. I don’t see how I’m enriching anything when all I do is cause trouble!“ she exclaimed, jumped up from her seat and started pacing the room.

Saint-Germain got up as well and approached her with quick steps, grasping her shoulders, turning her around to face him.

„Please don’t say that, Cardia. The fact that many of us have been unable to properly deal with these feelings of jealousy is not your fault. If it is anyone’s fault, it is our own, for not being able to address the elephant in the room… in fact I have been thinking about getting everyone together to finally do so, but with what happened recently between Lupin and Impey, I’m not so sure if that will go off without a hitch…“

„See? Even the fact that Lupin is avoiding Impey at any cost now is my fault! I should have never agreed to that flight over London… I caused nothing but trouble to Impey… And now Lupin hates him and me too! I don’t know how I can bear it…!“

„Cardia, Cardia! Lupin doesn’t hate you… or anyone for that matter! What ever are you talking about?“ Saint-Germain said, caressing her shoulders and upper arms with slow, gentle strokes in an attempt to put her mind at ease.

„Saint-Germain, please… I am not stupid. I’ve seen how he looks at me. I’ve seen how he treats me. So unlike his usual behavior. He… hates me…“

„Oh, Cardia, what you’re seeing isn’t hatred. It is something else entirely. Something I, unfortunately, know all too-well…“

Cardia gave him a look that was filled with disbelief and - above all - confusion. Upon seeing it, Saint-Germain couldn’t help but smile.

„…you haven’t realized it, have you? My dear Cardia…“ he said, lifted his right hand up and ran it tenderly through her auburn locks. „Still so innocent despite it all…“

„What do you mean?“

„Lupin’s behavior is not driven by hate. It is driven by jealousy.“

„Jealousy? B-but why would he…“ Cardia started but then she remembered what Lupin had seen that day when she and Impey had returned from their unintentional adventure. He had seen them together in a state of undress that had left nothing to the imagination. 

„…oh I’m so stupid!“ she exclaimed, before grasping the Count by his arms and staring intently into his eyes.

„But I don’t understand… until recently he has always been so unfazed by it all. I’ve seen the others get upset but not him. I… I thought he didn’t care. I thought… that I just wasn’t appealing to him…“

A hearty laugh escaped Saint-Germain’s throat, which caused Cardia to shoot him a reproachful look. 

„What’s so funny?“ 

„I’m sorry Cardia, it’s just that… you have got it wrong again. Lupin… how should I put it, is very good at hiding his feelings and at putting other people before him first. In fact, out of all of us, he is the one who has been suffering the most.“

„…really?“

„Really. No one, not even Lupin, is able to suppress his true feelings forever. It just so happened that this was the cause for his ‚emotional explosion’.“

„My god… and I didn’t realize it… all this time…“ Cardia muttered, then, as if struck by lightning, she looked at Saint-Germain with resolve in her eyes.

„I… I need to speak to him. It doesn’t matter how he reacts or if he keeps on pushing me away, I need to-„

Cardia was interrupted mid-sentence by a curt knock on the door. It swung open just a mere second later. 

„Oh… I’m sorry, Saint-Germain. I didn’t know you had… _company_.“

None other than Arséne Lupin stood before them now, his eyes narrowing slightly as his gaze fell upon Saint-Germain and Cardia being in such close proximity to each other.

„I will return later,“ he added before turning around and quickly walking away.

„Wait, Lupin!“ Cardia shouted, pulling out of Saint-Germain’s grasp before running after him.

He looked back over his shoulder when he heard her cry out to him, but didn’t slow down. Instead, he even picked up the pace as if to shake her off. 

„Wait I said!“

It was as if every word coming out of Cardia’s mouth only added more speed to Lupin’s steps as he was now nearly breaking out into a jog.

‚This is ridiculous!‘ Cardia thought to herself. ‚Why do some of the guys have to be so… childish?!‘ 

In an attempt to throw her off, Lupin made a sudden dart sideways right into the lounge. There was a connecting door at the other end of the room that would lead him to the hallway that was closer to his bedroom.

But Cardia had anticipated him trying something like that and was quick to follow. Lupin had almost crossed half of the room when Cardia was finally able to grab his arm. 

„Please, Lupin, let me talk to you!“ she gasped, trying to catch her breath.

Finally, Lupin came to a halt. He didn’t turn around to look at her, instead he let out an annoyed sigh before replying.

„I have nothing to say to you.“

„But I have! And I want you to listen to it instead of running away like an angry child!“

This finally made him turn around and face Cardia for the first time. As he took her sight in, her flushed cheeks, furrowed eyebrows and her green eyes sparkling with fury, he felt something stir within him that he had been trying to suppress those past few weeks.

„…who are you calling an ‚angry child’?“ he asked, trying to sound intimidating but it came out sounding huffy.

„Oh thank god, you’re finally talking to me again. Now, can we discuss this as adults or will I have to ask Saint-Germain to lock the lounge so that you can’t run away?“

Lupin averted his gaze, starting hard into the fireplace before eventually replying.

„…well, what is it? I haven’t got all day.“

Cardia sighed. This wasn’t going to be easy.

„Listen, Lupin. I… I wanted to apologize to you.“

Lupin turned his head back to her, an expression of utter surprise written across his face. 

„I know that I might look like a human being with at least 20 years of life experience under her belt, but you can’t forget that I’m an artificially created human having been alive for barely a quarter of that time.“

„What do you mean by that?“

„I mean that while it might seem that I should understand each and every thing that comes naturally to you or the others, in fact, I sometimes need explaining. If there is something the matter, I need people to tell me. If something is bothering them, if something upsets them, if I’ve done something that might give them a false impression of a situation… in short, I need people to communicate with me.“

She took a deep breath before continuing.

„What I’m trying to say is… you should have just told me how you were feeling all this time.“

It seemed like all of Lupin’s color drained from his face all at once. He knew exactly what she was talking about, but Cardia wanted to make sure there were no misunderstandings.

„I spoke to Saint-Germain about this today and he’s opened my eyes. Admittedly… I was totally unaware of your feelings toward me. I guess that’s part of… not being human…“

She looked at him coyly and smiled. Lupin on the other hand looked like the entire conversation hurt him immensely.

„Why didn’t you just come to me?“ Cardia asked him, her expression clouding over with worry and sorrow.

„…what for? I am not the type of person to force my feelings on somebody else. And after what had happened in the past weeks, no, months, it seemed pretty clear to me that there wouldn’t be any reciprocation.“

„But that’s where you would be wrong!“ she exclaimed, grasping the front of Lupin’s suit. „I don’t know where you would get that idea… I’ve said so to Helsing before and I’ll say it to you again if it makes you understand but… each and every one of you is so wonderful in their own way, that the question of choosing never posed itself to me.“

„What does that mean?“

„I mean that if you thought I don’t love you then you are wrong, Arséne Lupin! Very wrong…“

Lupin’s eyes widened as he took Cardia’s words in.

„Y-you don’t know what you’re talking about, Cardia!“

„I do! Look into my eyes!“ she retorted, holding his gaze with a stubborn intensity. „I am not certain of many things, but if there’s one thing I’m certain of, it’s this!“

She could see that his resolve to come across as angry and abrasive was waning. The mask he had so carefully put on and worn for so long finally started to show long, deep cracks. 

„So please, Arséne… if you finally want to be honest to yourself and to me, now is the time to do so.“

It was as if Lupin could hear the mask burst out loud and the voice in the back of his head whispered to throw all of his restraint overboard.

With a groan, he pulled Cardia into an embrace and kissed her, letting his tongue run eagerly over her lips for a moment before dipping between them. Cardia uttered a short, surprised yelp and instantly wrapped her arms around his neck, reciprocating the kiss.

Lupin let his hands wander down her back, over her behind, until they came to rest on her thighs. He hoisted her up, turned around and laid her down on the very same mahogany tabletop the group always shared during meals. He lifted her legs and wrapped them around his hips so that he could be as close to her as possible.

While keeping his left hand firmly on her thigh, he placed his hand on her chest, letting it run from the swell of her breasts down to her stomach and back up again. Lupin looked into Cardia’s eyes with a hunger she had never seen in him, before unexpectedly hooking his fingers into the row of buttons on her blouse and ripping it open with a swift movement.

Before Cardia fully realized what just happened, Lupin already bent down to draw one of her breasts into his mouth, alternating between gently nibbling and sucking her nipple. 

„A-Arséne-!“ Cardia moaned, her back arching from the intensity of the sensation. She had never seen Lupin that way, so utterly un-gentleman-like, almost aggressive and filled with need, but she loved every second of it. While she had always loved him for being so courtly and reserved, it was an exhilarating rush to see him give in to all the emotions he had been pushing aside until now.

Lupin kept on holding her gaze as he pulled away and turned to her other breast, licking a small circle around the tip before drawing it into his mouth like before.

However gentle he was though, Cardia could feel a sense of urgency behind Lupin’s actions. It didn’t take long before he stopped and straightened himself up and started to fumble with his belt, his eyes sparkling with a dark intensity that made shivers run down Cardia’s spine. She propped herself up on one elbow and reached out to him, holding his gaze as he took her hand to pull her up.

They kissed again and Cardia started to unbutton his vest and shirt, her fingers immediately ghosting over his bare skin as soon as she was done. Moving from his lips down his throat to his chest, Lupin watched as Cardia peppered him with feather-light kisses that seared his flesh until she eventually stopped and looked back up at him.

Lupin placed his hand underneath her chin, lifting it the slightest bit up to place another blazing kiss on her lips before his hands wandered back to the waistband of his trouser to open it and take out his erect member.  
His fingers moved to Cardia’s skirt and he hitched it up quickly before getting a hold of her underwear and pulling it down in one fast, fluid motion.

Still holding eye contact, Lupin moved closer, placing one hand on Cardia’s hip while leading his member to her entrance with the other. He didn’t waste any more time as he entered her with one powerful thrust.

A deep, drawn-out moan escaped Cardia’s throat and she held on to Lupin’s wrists as he instantly fell into a quick and agitated rhythm while keeping a firm grip on her hips. 

Cardia kept her gaze fixed on him and watched every single facial expression, every emotion that crossed it. His face was slightly flushed, soft strands of his usually neatly combed hair falling over his charming, chestnut-colored eyes and small beads of sweat were forming on his forehead.

She lifted up her hand to carefully brush a strand of hair to the side, her fingers softly running against his skin. 

„I love you… Arséne…“ she whispered, causing Lupin to groan and pick up his pace even more. 

His breathing became more and more shallow, his movements more irregular and Cardia could tell that he wasn’t too far off from orgasm. Then he hit a spot deep within her that made her see white and slightly convulse from pleasure.

It only took a couple more thrusts before Lupin was finally pushed over the edge. As his climax washed over him, he leaned down, his forehead touching Cardia’s and she took in each and every second of him losing control. 

‚He is so beautiful…‘ she thought to herself.

When the waves of pleasure finally subsided, Lupin gave her another, sloppy kiss, his lips moving slowly against her own. 

Lupin looked at her intensely once they stopped, his face betraying no emotion. Without breaking eye contact, he moved his hand down between her legs to softly caress her.

„Arséne… what are you…?“

„…you didn’t come.“

He said it so matter-of-factly that Cardia wasn’t quite sure she’d heard right.

„What do you-?“

„You didn’t think I’d just enjoy my orgasm and let you walk away without making you come as well, now did you?“

Lupin smirked, intensifying the pressure on her clitoris, causing Cardia to gasp. Now it was Lupin’s turn to watch her, deeply enthralled by the expression of bliss on Cardia’s features. He wanted to see her come undone so badly.

Continuing to rub her skin in small circles with varying pressure, Lupin, who was still sheathed within her, began to move again. The combination of friction on the inside as well as the stimulation on the outside made Cardia throw her head back and moan. It was clear that she wouldn’t last that much longer. 

Cardia could feel the delicious, pulsating heat build up more and more until it reached its inevitable peak and flooded her with waves of pleasure, pushing her over the edge. Her vaginal walls contracted almost painfully around Lupin and it took an almost inhuman amount of restraint not to come again.

With an utterly blissful smile on her face, Cardia looked up to Lupin, lifted her arm and cupped his cheek, stroking it affectionately with her thumb. 

_„What the **hell** are you doing?!“_

Lupin, who was about to reciprocate the gesture, was interrupted halfway by the all-too-familiar voice ringing through the lounge, bringing the tender and romantic atmosphere to an abrupt halt. Both he and Cardia turned their heads at the same time and saw none other than Abraham Helsing standing in the doorway. 

If the incredulous and angry tone of his voice hadn’t already given it away, his facial expression managed to drive it right home. 

Cardia grasped at the front of her blouse, holding it together where Lupin had ripped it open, in an attempt to cover herself and shuffled backward, untangling herself from Lupin, before hopping down from the table.  
Lupin on the other hand made no such attempts, instead he defiantly held Helsing’s furious gaze and pulled his trousers up as slowly as humanly possible. 

„You are the greatest hypocrite that I have ever met in my entire life, Arséne Lupin!“ Helsing shouted as he stepped inside the room and closed the door behind him, having shaken off the initial surprise and shock of finding them in such a compromising position.

„There you went, griping to me all theatrically about how terrible it is that we have been „causing rifts in our group with our selfish behavior“ and now look at you doing exactly what you have been criticizing!“

Lupin didn’t reply as Helsing blew up, instead, he just silently kept on holding his gaze while he continued to dress himself, buttoning his shirt and vest. With each and every word spat at Lupin, Helsing took further steps closer to him.

„You know what, I’m beginning to think that you didn’t actually care all that much for the „harmony of the group“. That’s not what your issues were all about. I rather think that what really got you upset was that you had been the only one who hadn’t _**fucked**_ Cardia… well, until now that is!“

„…keep Cardia out of this.“ Lupin finally spoke, his voice deep and menacing.

Cardia watched in horror as it all unfolded, unconsciously retreating slowly until her back hit the glass front of the large cupboard that housed all of Saint-Germain’s fine porcelain. 

„No, I won’t because she is the reason why you went apeshit on us and refused to talk to Impey! Do you even have any idea how the poor guy is feeling? He has been severely depressed and hardly eating anything, but you didn’t even have time to realize this, since you were busy focusing on your dick instead of your surroundings!“

„Abraham, stop it, please! This isn’t Arséne’s fault…!“ Cardia started, trying to intervene before it all escalated, but Helsing cut her off.

„Don’t interfere with this, Cardia. This is purely between Lupin and me.“

Shocked, she immediately fell silent and had to watch as the two continued to hurl insults at each other.

„Who are you to lecture me like that, Abraham Helsing, when you are the one who was the first to throw a hissy fit about how she would ‚rather fuck someone else“,“ Lupin sneered.

„You know what, I think today could be the day when I finally punch you in your face. It’s been long overdue…“  
Helsing growled, balling his fists at his sides.

„What? No!“ Cardia shouted but the two men completely ignored her.

Lupin approached him with quick steps and grabbed the collar of his navy blue coat.

„Sounds like a pretty good idea to me. Except that I will be the one who’ll land the first blow,“ Lupin snarled, already raising his fist to strike.

Cardia couldn’t believe her own eyes. Not in a million years she would have imagined that a fight of this sort of proportion could ever break out between any of the guys, let alone that Lupin, who had always been the most pacifistic of them all, would be involved in it.

Since neither Lupin nor Helsing would listen to her if she begged them on her knees, Cardia prayed to the heavens that something or someone would magically appear and bring it all to an end before one of them did something terrible.

As if on cue, the door to the lounge swung open.

**„What on earth is happening in here?!“**

Before them stood Saint-Germain, his eyes ablaze with fury. Lupin and Helsing only looked at him for a second before focusing on each other again, but Saint-Germain was not a person that allowed others to ignore him. Quick as a flash, he moved up to them and forcefully wedged his hands between the two men, pushing them apart.

„There will be none of this in my mansion, do you understand?!“ he fumed, looking at Helsing first, then at Lupin. „And especially not in front of Cardia!“

Saint-Germain turned around to her, his expression softening when he saw the fear and desperation displayed on Cardia’s face. 

„Cardia… I think it’s best if you leave. Go back to your room. I will take of this,“ he said to her and the girl didn’t need to be told twice.

She looked at Helsing and Lupin one more time before breaking into a run. Once she was out in the hallway, Cardia started to cry, tears flowing freely down her cheeks as her body was being shaken by vigorous sobs.  
She ran as fast as she could, as if that would somehow change anything or undo things, but the girl knew deep down in her heart, that from now on, nothing would ever be the same.

As she rounded the corner, Cardia barely caught a glimpse of Victor Frankenstein before she collided with him and fell backwards.

„Cardia! I am so sorry are you alright…?“ he started but stopped mid-sentence when he lay his eyes on Cardia’s disheveled and utterly distraught appearance and ultimately got the wrong idea. 

„Oh my god, Cardia! What happened to you?!“

„I-I’m fine, Victor, it’s not what it looks like…“

„It doesn’t look like you’re fine to me… please, you know you can tell me everything!“

Cardia hesitated for a second. Was it really necessary to get Victor involved in this as well? She looked into his brilliant, emerald green eyes that were so utterly filled with worry and love, that she couldn’t keep quiet.

„It’s Lupin and Helsing… they… they are fighting in the lounge. Saint-Germain barely arrived in time to stop them, but god knows what they would have done to each other had he not come…!“

„What?! B-but why?!“

„It’s… because of me.“

Cardia looked at him with an intensity that made him understand immediately what she was alluding to.

„O-oh… but still, Lupin and fighting? Arséne Lupin? I just can’t believe that.“

„It’s true. And it’s all my fault!“ 

Tears started to spill from Cardia’s eyes again.

„I should have never entered your lives… ever since you’ve known me, I’ve cause you all nothing but trouble!“

Victor’s eyes widened as he took in her words and reacted by grabbing her shoulders. 

„That’s not true Cardia and you know that!“

„Then why exactly is it that since I’ve been in this mansion with you, nothing but bad things have happened? Jimmy Aleister is mainly on the hunt for me, so by extension, that means living with you all has put your lives in danger as well! Not to mention this whole… other issue… It all comes down to me.“

„Listen to me, Cardia and please listen well. Whatever is going on between Lupin and Helsing will clear itself up, I am sure of that. They are both pretty hot-headed at times and the recent weeks, if not months, have been very stressful for all of us. I’m convinced that Saint-Germain will do anything possible to resolve this conflict. I don’t want you to blame yourself for any of that, alright?“

He brushed a strand of hair out of her eyes before pulling a handkerchief out of his pocket to wipe away her tears.

„Now, I’d say you should go to your room and try to get some rest. Will you do that for me?“

Victor smiled encouragingly at her and Cardia managed to nod while lifting the corners of her mouth weakly in return.

„Good. You’ll see, come tomorrow morning, everything will have resolved itself and you’ll feel way better. I guarantee you!“

„Thank you, Victor…“

Victor helped her get back on her feet and accompanied her to her room, making sure she’d get there safely. Cardia walked inside and slowly turned around once more, leaning against the door, the stress and shock from before weighing heavy on her. 

„Alright… then I’ll be on my way. Please let me know if you need something Cardia or if you suddenly feel bad. I’ll be there right away,“ Victor said, his voice gentle and soothing.

„I will. Thank you, Victor. I’ll… just stay in bed the rest of the day, I think.“

„Yes, go ahead and do that. I’ll tell the others not to bother you. Well then…“

Victor smiled once more, extending his hand to softly stroke her cheek before turning on his heels and walking down the hallway.

Cardia closed the door and leaned against it with her back, before slumping down to the floor. With her head between her crossed arms, she took a couple of deep breaths, trying to calm herself down as much as possible. 

Despite what she had told Victor, resting was not what Cardia intended to do. On the contrary.

As soon as she felt strong enough, she got back up and walked over to her dresser. Next to it stood a large, leather suitcase. Cardia looked at it for a second before grasping the handle and heaving it up on her bed.  
Then she walked back and started opening drawers, pulling out pants and blouses, underwear and ankle socks, among other things, walked over to the suitcase and put them inside.

‚None of this would have happened if it hadn’t been for me. Had the others not met me, they would be living a harmonious life without any danger. So it’s only logical that I can only undo this by removing myself from their lives‘ Cardia thought to herself as she continued to pack.

Victor’s words had had no effect on her. By the time he had tried to calm her down, her decision had already been made.

Cardia would leave the mansion on the very same day. 

For good.

When she was finished, Cardia walked over to her bedside and pulled open one of the drawers in her nightstand. Inside, she had stored a bit of money that Saint-Germain had given her for emergencies. She took it out, counted the bills and neatly tucked them inside the pocket of her trouser before walking back over to her dresser to pull a long, dark blue coat out.

Carefully, she slipped into it and pulled the hood up on her head, then she went to get the suitcase and put it down underneath the window. 

She opened it as silently as possible, hoisted the suitcase up and put it down along the wall outside, partially hidden behind the bushes. Afterwards she sat down on the windowsill, holding on to the frame for support, before jumping outside.

Cardia knew that no one would see her leave, not even in the bright light of day, as everyone would no doubt be in a panic due to the fight between Lupin and Helsing in the lounge. Nevertheless, she didn’t want to risk anything and didn’t waste any time.

She adjusted her coat and picked up the suitcase, walking off quickly toward the back entrance of the mansion. Cardia was grateful that her room was at the very far end of the mansion, which meant that she was closer to the gate.

Once she reached it, she turned around to catch one last glimpse of the mansion that had been like home to her for so many months, feeling a terrible pang of loss.

„Goodbye… everyone…“ she whispered before turning around and walking toward a future without her companions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well finally the fifth chapter is done!
> 
> First and foremost I would like to apologize to everyone for letting you guys wait so long for this chapter :( I know I've taken a really long time with this one... Unfortunately, life has been pretty hectic, stressful and upsetting so writing and finishing this took way longer than I had intended... I didn't even properly start to write this until maybe November/December.
> 
> Originally I wanted to finish the fic with the fifth chapter but since it has gotten so long, I decided to split it and wrap the story up with the sixth chapter so please bear with me a little while more. I promise you that this time you won't have to wait as long for the last one as I've now got more time to write ;)
> 
> As always, thanks for being patient and for reading my fic <3 I don't deserve you guys as readers! ;^;


	6. Warmth

After bringing Cardia to her room and making sure she’d try and get some rest, Victor Frankenstein made his way back to the lounge. He wondered if Saint-Germain had been successful in trying to get Helsing and Lupin to calm down and not jump at each other’s throats. Victor knew of the Count’s intimidating aura with which he could exude power and claim respect quite easily - he had seen it a number of times before. But he also knew that Helsing and Lupin were two very strong, self-confident individuals who weren’t afraid of Saint-Germain at all.

God only knew what kind of scene would await him upon his return.

As he rounded the final corner, deeply engrossed in thought, he almost ran into Impey, reflexively grasping the other’s upper arms before they could collide.

„Impey! What are you doing here?“

„I heard some noise from the lounge and thought I should come and check what’s going on. Do you have any idea what happened?“

Victor sighed.

„Oh boy… where to even start with this one…“

Impey looked at him in confusion and Victor realized with worry that the his usually bouncy companion had changed quite a bit in recent weeks. His skin was rather pale, he had pronounced dark bags underneath his eyes and his long, red hair was dull, the ends split. For a moment Victor thought about what the truth might do to him, considering that his current state was due to prior upheaval in regards to Cardia. But he knew that Impey deserved to know the truth.

„Helsing walked in on Lupin and Cardia having sex.“

Impey’s mouth fell open and his eyes widened considerably upon receiving that piece of information.

„They did WHAT?!“

„I was just as surprised as you are, my friend,“ Victor replied. He wasn’t as much surprised about what happened between Lupin and Cardia, but more about the turn of events that would lead Helsing and Lupin to have a go at each other’s throats. Sure, there had been tensions simmering beneath the surface, but in his naivety, he had expected that they would somehow resolve themselves.

„A-and what about Cardia? Was she in the midst of it all?“

„Well… I don’t know the exact details, because I wasn’t present but I’m afraid so. I ran into her as she was on her way to her room.“

Impey was silent for a moment before probing Victor further.

„Was she okay?“

Victor winced, the memory of Cardia in tears and utterly distraught still so very fresh on his mind.

„No, she wasn’t. She was extremely upset… and she kept on insisting that it was all her fault. That nothing of this would have happened had it not been for her.“

„Cardia…“ Impey muttered, pained, before panic seemed to grip him. „W-where is she now? Shouldn’t we be with her?!“

„I brought her to her room and made sure she’d get some rest. I think we should give her the chance to calm down and leave her alone until tomorrow. It was all a bit too much and I don’t want to overwhelm her.“

Impey fell quiet, looking at Victor with such a penetrating gaze that it made the other young man start to feel uneasy.

„Impey? Are you alright?“

„Victor… This is really bad. I mean, there had been an undeniable build-up of frustration and all-around negative energy for a while now and when Lupin exploded in my face, I knew that something was about to go really awry but… I never would have guess that it’d escalate like that.“

„Impey, I’m sure it’s not **_that_** dramatic…“

„Have you seen it for yourself? Were you present when they started fighting?“

„N-no, I wasn’t but…“

„Then how would you know? Cardia being so extremely upset would be enough indication for me.“

Now it was Victor’s turn to be silent. Impey took a step forward and put his hand on his shoulder, giving it a reaffirming squeeze.

„I know that you’re trying to be positive all the time and that you’re the one who tries his best to deescalate a situation… but even you must have realized by now that we as a group are in serious trouble.“

He sighed before continuing.

„The thing is… we aren’t talking about the elephant in the room. At all. We totally missed the point where we should have addressed two things: Our feelings for Cardia and how we were going to deal with them. Together. But we never did. So what happened? It all escalated so far, that two of our group’s members are now at each other’s throats when it could have been avoided.“

„But… what can we do now?“ Victor asked helplessly.

„I don’t know. Maybe we should try and find out how serious it really is. You haven’t been in the lounge yet, have you?“

Victor shook his head.

„Then we should head inside immediately. Saint-Germain might even need our help…“

Impey headed into the direction of the lounge with Victor following him closely. As soon as they reached the door, they could hear Saint-Germain’s stern voice cutting through the silence. Impey shot him a worried look, then his hand was already on the knob, turning it.

„…and do not underestimate me. I will not hesitate to do that should this ever happen again.“

As the door opened, Impey and Victor were able to catch some of the words uttered by the Count to Lupin and Helsing. Even though he spoke them calmly, the tone of his voice was cold and threatening.

Impey and Victor could have cut the atmosphere in the room with a knife. 

Lupin and Helsing were each standing far apart from each other, with Lupin being closer to the door from which Impey and Victor had just entered. 

When he heard the sound of the door opening, Saint-Germain stopped and turned around. His facial expression was utterly terrifying, his teal-colored eyes intense and menacing. The only other time Victor had seen the Count like that was when he watched him murder Finis in the underground laboratory of Isaac Beckford.

He gulped audibly.

Perhaps it was that sound or just Victor and Impey’s scared faces but whatever it was, it managed to pull Saint-Germain out of his trance-like state.

„Victor! Impey! I… we…!“ he stammered, which was so unlike his usual collected, well-spoken self.

„It’s alright, Saint-Germain… you don’t need to explain anything. I… ran into Cardia on my way here,“ Victor replied as he closed the door.

Impey’s and Lupin’s eyes met for a split-second before Lupin looked away.

„Oh…“ Saint-Germain said, then he laughed nervously as he covered his face with his right hand. „Of course. There’s nothing that stays even remotely secret in this house…“

„I made sure she’d get to her room and rest,“ Victor answered before crossing his arms and focusing his gaze on Helsing and Lupin. „She was in a terrible state. I have never seen Cardia so distraught and beside herself.“

„What are you looking at me for? It wasn’t my fault.“ Lupin retorted defiantly and shot Helsing a look.

„Are you fucking kidding me? You are blaming **ME** for this fiasco?“ Helsing spat back.

„If you hadn’t overreacted that much, the whole situation wouldn’t have escalated that much. But no, you had to be dramatic.“

„Dramatic?! Let me just remind you that it was none other than you who chewed Impey out for doing the exact same thing that you did. You pretty much exploded and now here you are, trying to make it seem like your reaction was completely reasonable while mine wasn’t.“

Victor and Impey watched the two in disbelief as they argued, but it wasn’t long before Saint-Germain was at the end of his tether.

**„Stop it, you two!“** he shouted.

Helsing and Lupin shut up immediately, quite like schoolboys caught in the act of doing something bad by their teacher.

Saint-Germain sighed and rubbed his temple frantically, looking utterly exasperated and drained by all of it.

„I told you just a moment ago what would happen if you two couldn’t behave yourselves like grown-up men! And still you cannot help it and argue? …That’s it.“

Lupin frowned.

„‚That’s it?‘ What do you mean by that?“

„I’ve seen quite clearly, that this will lead nowhere and that every single of my words may as well be directed at a wall. We need to have a serious talk, but not right now. Not in this state. You two will head to your rooms to clear your heads and get out of this state you’re in. Early tomorrow morning, as soon as you wake up, we’ll have a meeting, right here in the lounge. All of us save for Cardia. Hopefully you two will be able to behave like adults by that time…“

There was an odd mixture of feelings displayed on Saint-Germain’s face. Not only was there frustration, but also disappointment and for some reason also a hint of sadness.

It made Victor feel anxious.

Muttering in annoyance, Lupin and Helsing left the room, each of them through a different door. 

Impey, who had been unusually silent the entire time, walked over to Saint-Germain and put a hand on his shoulder. 

„Are you okay?“ he asked while looking at him and lightly squeezed his shoulder. It was a gentle, friendly gesture that caused the Count to relax.

„Thank you, Impey,“ he said, smiling at him tiredly. „I’m… I will be fine.“

„Just let us know if there’s anything we can do for you,“ Victor said, looking worried.

„…if it’s quite alright with you, Impey, I would like to speak to Victor in private for a moment.“

If Impey questioned the Count’s sudden secretiveness, he didn’t show it at all.

„No problem. I’ll just head to my room and we’ll see each other later.“

Once he had left the room and closed the door behind him, Saint-Germain looked at Victor with seriousness.

„There’s a reason why I wanted to talk to you in private. It’s about the contents of tomorrow’s meeting…“

~~**~~

Cardia groaned.

She had severely underestimated the weight of her suitcase and how it would impact getting away from the mansion and to her desired place as quickly as possible. 

‚Why does this damn thing not have any wheels? It would make traveling so much easier… I should have asked Impey to put some on my suitcase a while ago… but well, now it’s too late…‘ she thought to herself as she continued to pull the heavy object across the gravel right outside the walls of the mansion.

„Oh, come on now, you stubborn, stubborn thing you-!“ Cardia whined. She was seriously considering kicking the suitcase by this point.

If she kept on moving at her current pace, it would heighten the chances of the others eventually catching her in the act of running away. It wasn’t something she was very keen on.

While continuing to swear under her breath, Cardia tried her hardest to pull it farther and after almost 15 minutes of struggle, she had finally made it to the main road. Cardia was panting by now and the thought of the remaining distance that lay ahead of her until she would reach her desired destination made her want to cry.

Just in that moment, she heard the sound of the steady clip-clop of hooves in the ground, as well as some clattering in the distance. As it drew nearer, Cardia could make out the distinct shape of a carriage that was pulled by two horses. 

When it had almost reached her, she could see an elderly woman poking her head out of the coach. She wore a layered, heavy looking navy blue dress with a chemisette in the front that had a lovely, mostly peach-colored floral pattern. The silk poke bonnet she wore was the same color as her dress and gently framed her face. 

Cardia wasn’t a 100% sure, but she thought she could see a hint of a smile on the lady’s lips as their eyes met. 

„Alfred, would you please stop the carriage for a moment?“ she called out to her driver on the perch. 

„As you wish, Mylady…“ he answered curtly and gave the horses a signal while simultaneously reining them in. The carriage came to a halt right next to Cardia, who looked at the vehicle with surprise in her eyes.

„You look like you still have a ways to go with that heavy suitcase of yours, dearie. I’m heading into London and I wouldn’t mind some company on my trip. Would you allow me to take you closer to wherever you need to go?“

The woman smiled warmly at her, the action evoking a feeling of melancholy in Cardia. It was almost like she was missing the mother that she never had in her life.

Cardia let go of her suitcase and lifted her hands.

„Oh, no, I’m perfectly alright, thank you.“

The woman laughed amicably.

„Dear, I don’t mean to be rude, but I could see from a distance that you were quite struggling with your luggage. Also, it is clearly visible that you are exhausted. Please, let me take you with me. There’s enough space in my carriage and I would really enjoy some company along the way!“

Cardia hesitated. While she appreciated the offer, she didn’t want to intrude upon the elderly lady.

„A-are you sure it’s alright? I don’t want to be a nuisance of any sort…“

„Oh no, don’t you worry about that! It’s quite alright with me! Where do you need to go?“

There was a pause before Cardia answered.

„…to London main station.“

„How lovely, that is exactly on my route!“

The woman gave her driver a sign and quick as a flash, he was already next to Cardia and took the suitcase off of her, hoisting it up on the carriage’s back and tightened it with a rope so it wouldn’t fall off along the way.  
When he was done, he walked over to the carriage, opened the door and extended his hand. Cardia took it shyly and allowed him to help her up the three tiny steps into the vehicle.

Cardia sat down opposite the woman and let her gaze wander around the inside that was outfitted with a deep burgundy-colored velvet.

The driver, Alfred, could be heard climbing back up into his seat and spurred the horses on, setting the carriage in motion.

For some reason Cardia felt incredibly shy, looking everywhere but into the elderly lady’s face who kept on smiling at her.

„I don’t think I’ve yet asked for your name now have I, dear?“

„U-um… my name is… Cardia.“

„Cardia! What a beautiful name!“ the woman exclaimed, clapping her hands together in delight. „Oh, where are my manners! I haven’t yet introduced myself to you. My name is Mary. I am back on my way into London after spending two weeks in my second home in the countryside.“

„A second home? That must be nice…“ Cardia said, unsure of what else to reciprocate.

„It is actually quite nice to escape the bustling city once in a while. The countryside is so, so lovely. But after a while, you get bored, as contradictory as it may sound,“ Mary answered and laughed. „So, why are you on the way to London? Or out of London, considering where you’re headed?“

„I’m… I’m heading west,“ Cardia said before she got quiet and cast her eyes down. In a subdued voice, she continued. „London is not the place for me anymore…“

„Oh?“ 

Cardia’s sudden mood shift seemed to pique Mary’s interest.

„Why is that?“

Her question pulled Cardia out of her thoughtfulness.

„I… really don’t want to burden you with my issues.“

„You’re not. I hope I’m appearing like your regular curious old woman to you and believe me, I often am that way, but… I cannot help but sense a deep sadness from you.“ 

When Cardia didn’t immediately reply and instead continued to stare at the floor, Mary continued.

„I’ve made the experience that speaking about your problems with someone else can oftentimes help shine a different light on it that makes them disappear.“

Cardia looked back up. When her eyes met Mary’s, she felt a rush of emotions. She did indeed have the urge to talk about it with someone, but she wasn’t sure if she should just spill her heart to a complete stranger. In the end, despite her inner turmoil, Cardia decided to risk it.

„Well… until recently I used to live together in a large house with… five young men. We were just friends in the beginning but eventually…“

„Let me guess: You fell in love with one of them?“

„Um, no, I… I fell in love with all of them…“ 

Cardia looked sheepishly into Mary’s face and watched the elderly lady raise her eyebrows in surprise.

„With all of them? How is that even possible? I’ve never heard of someone being able to be in love with more than one person at a time. Are you sure that this isn’t just a case of not wanting to make a decision?“

„Believe me… if I could make a choice, I would. This is what has been plaguing me for a while now… the fact of it all is that I have feelings for each and every one of them. I… I thought that this would mean that no one would suffer, since it meant that everyone got their fair share of feelings from me… but the opposite happened.“

At that, Mary laughed.

„Well of course, my dear! If there’s one thing I know about men, it’s that they don’t want to share. If they want something, they want it all to themselves. Especially when it comes to love. Once they love somebody, they get very selfish and at times possessive. Well… actually, now that I think about it, even women can be like that!“

„Really?“ Cardia asked, bewildered by what the other woman was telling her.

„Yes, my dear. You are truly an exception to the rule.“

„I tried to explain it to them, over and over again. That there is no need to be jealous at all, but… it didn’t work. Eventually, tensions started to rise between them and it culminated in a fight. I couldn’t bear the fact that the people I love were hurting because of me so…“

„…you packed up your belongings and left?“ Mary finished the sentence for her and Cardia just gazed at her solemnly and nodded. „I see…“ she added. 

Silence fell between them with the steady rumbling of the carriage being the only sound that filled it.

„…and you think that this will solve all the problems?“

Mary’s question came unexpectedly and Cardia looked back at her.

„What else could I have done? I felt like removing myself from their lives would be the only logical thing to do. If I’m not there anymore to cause them pain, they can go back to being comrades. Everything will be easier for them this way.“

„Do you really think that it’s going to be easier for them?“

„What do you mean?“

„Well, if those young men have feelings for you, they won’t just simply let you walk out of their lives.“

An expression of pain shot across Cardia’s face, her eyebrows furrowing in desperation.

„But… if I stay, nothing will change. Their fighting would have escalated if I hadn’t left! I can’t just have them hurt each other because of me…“

„I’m not trying to talk you out of leaving, my dear. If you have thought it through and you’ve come to the conclusion that that’s what you have to do, then you have to walk down the path you’ve chosen.“

A sad smile formed on Cardia’s lips as she looked back out of the window. She could already see the walls of London in the distance. Slowly but surely, the carriage was approaching the city.

„You know, I really wish it could have been different. I wanted so much for us all to be able to live together, to laugh together, to spend time together like we’d done for a long time. Before I met those guys, I don’t remember ever feeling so elated, so safe and welcome. Maybe it was naive of me to assume that this could go on forever, but I really wanted it…“

The young girl’s vision became blurred as she started to tear up. She didn’t want to cry, but she also couldn’t stop herself. 

Mary leaned forward and carefully took Cardia’s hand into her own. 

„Listen to me, Cardia,“ she said and the young girl looked into the elderly woman’s eyes while blinking away the tears.

„Even though I’ve lived a long life that wasn’t always smooth sailing, there’s one thing I never lost and that is my faith that no matter how dire a situation may seem, if it’s meant to be, everything will always work out in the end.“

She gave Cardia’s hand a gentle squeeze.

„And I have a feeling that this isn’t yet the end for you and your admirers at all.“

„Mylady, we will be reaching the central station in a couple of minutes,“ Alfred said, his voice slightly dulled by the walls of the carriage, pulling both Mary and Cardia out of the little bubble they were in.

True to what Mary’s driver had estimated, they soon arrived at the station and the carriage came to a halt. Once again, Alfred was quick to be at the door to open it and help Cardia get safely out of the vehicle. As soon as her feet touched the ground, he was already on his way to the back to get her suitcase. 

„Well, so that is where we go our separate ways…“ Cardia said shyly as she turned to look at Mary, who was poking her head out of the window closest to her. „Thank you for taking me to the city… and for everything else,“ she added with a smile.

„There’s nothing to thank me for, my dear. I am glad that our paths crossed today.“

Meanwhile, Alfred was back at Cardia’s sight with her suitcase and placed it right next to her. 

„And whatever you choose to do from now on, I wish you all the best,“ Mary finished and smiled at her in encouragement.

„Thank you so much, Mary,“ Cardia replied. As she and Mary exchanged their goodbyes, an attendant approached them and curtly tapped his hat.

„May I take your baggage, madam?“ 

„O-oh, yes, of course!“

Cardia watched as the man took her suitcase with ease and looked at her expectantly before starting to walk in the direction of the platforms. Quickly, she turned back to Mary one last time and bid her farewell before hasting after him.

„Good luck, dear,“ Mary whispered as her gaze followed Cardia until she disappeared in the crowd. „Alfred, I think it’s best that we continue on our way,“ she eventually said, addressing her driver.

„As you wish, Mylady,“ he answered, got back on his seat and set the carriage in motion.

In the meantime, Cardia had told the attendant where she was headed and followed him as he lead her to the designated platform. The train was already there, giving off steam as the conductor prepared it for the upcoming journey. Once they arrived, the attendant motioned for Cardia to go ahead and followed her inside to one of the free compartments and put her suitcase on the overhead bin.

„Well then… would you like a roundtrip ticket?“ he asked her as he rummaged through the pouch he wore around his waist and took out his block of tickets.

„Uh, no, I… I just need a one-way ticket,“ she replied. 

If the attendant took heed of her demeanor, he didn’t show it. Quickly he ripped a ticket off, punched it and handed it to Cardia, then he tipped his hat and left the compartment.

In a couple of minutes, Cardia would leave the city for good that had been her home for the past 6 months. Even though it had been a comparatively short time, she had enjoyed every minute of it. Once more she thought about Lupin, Helsing, Saint-Germain, Victor and Impey. She knew that her sudden departure had been due to her emotional distress, but her abrupt leaving without any form of goodbye letter was now causing her to feel guilty. 

_‚What will they think when they find out I’m gone?‘_ she thought to herself. However, she was still convinced that she was doing the right thing.

Outside, Cardia could see an attendant checking the platform one last time before giving the conductor the signal that the train was ready for departure.

There was a loud whistle coming from the head of the train before it started to move, slow at first, then picking up speed as it left the station.

Cardia kept on looking out the window to absorb as much as she could of London as it eventually removed itself further and further from her until it was nothing more than a spot in the distance.

~~*~~

Early the next morning, Saint-Germain was already in the lounge, pacing nervously up and down while he waited for the others to arrive.

He usually wasn’t an anxious man, but the task that was ahead of him made him feel a little bit uneasy, even though his mind was set. Saint-Germain knew that what he was about to do had to be done. There was just no other way to deal with the situation.

He sighed.

_'How could it have come to this?’_ he asked himself. _‚Is it my fault? Should I have acted sooner? Was something I did to be blamed? Did I perhaps even make everything worse by letting myself get pulled in instead of trying to be a good leader for everyone else?‘_

These and many other questions had been haunting him since the incident of the previous day. But there was no use in stressing over them, as there was no way he could change the past.

A curt knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. Helsing was the first to walk into the room. He uttered a short „Morning“ upon seeing the Count and then immediately walked over to the fireplace, leaning against it with his back.

Just a moment later, Impey, directly followed by Lupin, entered the room. They didn’t look at each other or talk like they used to. Instead, there was still an icy silence between them that made the atmosphere incredibly uncomfortable. It was that atmosphere though, that calmed the Count and reaffirmed his conviction that what he was about to do was the right thing for everyone involved.

Once everyone was in the room, either sitting or standing, Saint-Germain positioned himself in front of them and faced each person for a moment, before speaking.

„Well then, since everybody’s here, let’s get this started, now shall we,“ he said.

There was an immediate look of confusion on each face and Helsing was the one to address the obvious.

„Wait a moment, aren’t we missing Victor?“ 

„Victor won’t be joining us. I informed him in advance of the contents of this meeting as he is currently on his way to look after Cardia and make sure she is okay.“

„Oh? Why Victor in particular?“ Helsing asked accusingly, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.

Saint-Germain sighed, rubbing his temples in exasperation.

„That is exactly the reason why. You haven’t thought about your behavior from yesterday at all, now have you, Helsing?“

Helsing was quiet, but showed no signs of being embarrassed by his own demeanor. Truly, he and Lupin were already too far gone in their jealousy and possessiveness. 

„This brings me to why I have called this meeting with you all. I don’t think that I need to beat around the bush any longer. Cleary we can all see that any kind of camaraderie we have had has gone down the drain completely. We made a promise to each other, to protect Cardia and to hunt down Jimmy Aleister and end his rule over Twilight and Nightfall together. However, along the way we have all undoubtedly developed feelings for Cardia.“

He looked from Lupin to Helsing and then to Impey in an attempt to drive his words home and finally address the elephant in the room.

„We have never spoken to each other about it. We have never taken the time to sit down and talk it through. I firmly believe that this might have helped us avoid this… ‚explosion’ that we’ve had. Instead, we have stuck our heads in the sand and ignored the problem that has been simmering all this time and now it’s too late. Communication has broken down completely. People aren’t talking to each other, ignoring, or worse, even despising each other.“

Saint-Germain took a deep breath before continuing.

„That’s why I have come to the conclusion, that this has to end. From this day on, our cohabitation under one roof… is over.“

One could have heard a pin drop. Shock was written very clearly across Lupin’s, Helsing’s and Impey’s faces, as none of them had expected Saint-Germain to say that. At the very most, they had anticipated some sort of chewing out, but this? Never in their wildest dreams would they have thought of it.

„What do you mean, ‚it’s over‘?“ Helsing asked while taking a couple of steps closer to the couch Impey was sitting on.

„It means that starting today, you will all move out of my mansion and each find a place to stay. We will still work together as a team and we can and will still use my mansion as our main meeting spot, but I see no future for us living together under one roof. I fear that it would eventually lead to something far more dangerous than a fistfight.“

„Even Victor?“ Impey asked, his voice sounding unnerved.

„Even Victor.“

Lupin, who until then had been knocked for a loop, suddenly got up from his seat. 

„And what about Cardia? What is going to happen to her?“

Saint-Germain turned to him and looked him straight in the eyes.

„She, too, will move out. Just so it is fair for everyone involved and no need for any accusations hurled into my direction that I might take this as an opportunity to get her for myself,“ he replied, his voice dripping with poison.

„But where? Are you planning on letting her live all by herself? That would make her a perfect target for Jimmy Aleister!“

„Do you really think I am that stupid, Arséne Lupin?! Of course I won’t let her live on her own. That has already been taken care of.“

„How?“ Helsing asked.

„Yesterday, I met with Leonhardt and was even received in audience by her Majesty the Queen. She has very kindly agreed to take Cardia in and give her a room in Buckingham Palace.“

„…Jesus Christ…“ Helsing groaned in frustration and shook his head.

„That is why I informed Victor ahead of time of this meeting and asked him to visit Cardia in the morning. He will gently break the news to her and make sure she understands.“

„And this is honestly the best conclusion you could have come to?“ 

Helsing walked around the couch and got dangerously close to Saint-Germain’s face.

„Yes, it is. I will no longer stand by and watch this terrible drama unfold before my own eyes. I will put a stop to it while I still can,“ he replied, anger and disappointment vibrating in his voice. Then, however, his voice got softer. „I’m doing this for everyone’s own good. I don’t want us to fight, to become enemies. I want us to be a group that works together, a team. However, it’s not possible for us to achieve that by living under one roof.“

Just as Helsing finally realized that Saint-Germain’s mind was set and that there was nothing more he could do or say to change it, the door of the lounge swung open, hitting the wall with so much force that the knob nearly put a dent into it.

Before them stood Victor, panicked and completely out of breath.

Instantly, Saint-Germain knew that something wasn’t right and when Victor was finally able to speak, his words confirmed his premonition.

„Cardia… s-she’s gone!“

~~**~~

Three short knocks on the door of the compartment jolted Cardia out of her slumber. Confused, she looked around, not recognizing her surroundings at first, but it quickly came back to her when she saw the train attendant who had just taken a small step inside.

„I’m sorry to disturb you, Madam, but we will be arriving at the main station in about 30 minutes.“

Still a bit sleepy, Cardia rubbed her eyes, sitting up straighter.

„Thank you for waking me ahead of time,“ she replied.

The train attendant tipped his hat, then stepped back out of the compartment and closed the door. Outside, beautiful, large trees passed by the window and Cardia saw the familiar scenery of a well-known landscape from her past.

_‚Welcome home, huh,‘_ she thought to herself. In any other circumstance, this would have been a happy occasion for her, but not now. She sighed and let her head fall back against the seat as she continued to look outside.

After about ten minutes, she let her gaze wander inside the compartment and looked at her suitcase. The idea of pulling that heavy item all the way to her destination made her skin crawl. 

_‚Why didn’t I just pack lighter… or not take a suitcase at all?‘_

As soon as the thought had crossed her mind, another was taking its place. 

_‚Wait a minute… What if I just leave it on the train?‘_

There was nothing valuable in her suitcase, only the clothes she had packed and she knew she had enough clothes where she was headed. Indeed, she could have just left it back at the mansion in the first place.  
All of a sudden Cardia felt laughter bubble up in her chest.

„I’m so stupid… I brought this heavy thing for nothing…“ she said to herself, shaking her head.

The train gave off a whistling sound, indicating that it would be pulling into the station quite soon. Cardia looked outside the window once more and could already see the main station in the distance. Slowly she got up from her seat, walked over to the door, took her coat off the hanger and slipped inside it.

By the time she had left the compartment and walked through the corridor to the exit, the train was already slowing down. After a couple more minutes, the train pulled into the station and Cardia was one of the first people to set foot on the platform. She breathed in the fresh, crisp air and let her gaze wander around, watched the people around her scatter and hurry towards friends and loved ones or simply all by themselves in a bid to make it home as fast as possible.

A surge of energy and confidence hit her, making butterflies dance in her stomach with excitement. 

_‚I can make this on my own. This is where I belong, where I’ve always belonged. I can rebuild a life for myself again,‘_ she thought and started to head for the nearest exit. 

Not long after she had left the train station, she reached a small road that was lined by lush, green fields and beautiful oak trees. Cardia was in no haste to reach her destination, but she was also aware that it would take her about two to three hours to reach it, which, considering that the sun was starting to set, meant getting there in the early hours of the night.

„Well, then let’s get going!“ she said to herself and continued on.

As expected, about midway in, it rapidly started getting darker and darker until the only light shining on her was that of the moon and the stars sparkling in the sky. It was a beautiful sight that she would have liked to enjoy more, but Cardia knew that she shouldn’t be outside in the wilderness at night for too long. If there was one thing Helsing and the others had taught her, it was to always keep her guard up.

Cardia sighed.

Even though she had told herself not to think about them anymore, she couldn’t help herself.

_‚I’m so stupid… how can I really believe that it’s going to be easy trying to forget them… Is that even possible? I miss them already…‘_

Cardia was lost so deeply in thought, that she almost didn’t see the building. 

There it finally was. Her father’s mansion that she had called her home for the majority of her life, before the other guys came sweeping her off her feet… quite literally. 

It was larger than she remembered, its face overgrown with dark green leaf tendrils and flowers. The grass in the garden had flourished as well, having grown to the height of a small child. Cardia let her eyes wander from the archway of the main building to the tapered roofs that were littered with her father’s specially constructed chimneys. The cylindrical structure of her father’s laboratory glistened silver in the moonlight, as always. 

Eventually, Cardia decided to make her way inside, wading through the tall grass that reached up to her belly. 

_‚I will have to cut that down quite a bit…‘_ she thought to herself as she struggled through.

When she reached the main door, she put her hand on the doorknob and turned it. It opened with a terrible creaking noise and Cardia made a mental note of another thing to repair the next day. As soon as she stepped into the main hallway, a dusty, stale smell hit her nose. To be fair, the place hadn’t been cleaned in ages. The framed paintings on the wall were still mostly there, though some of them had fallen to the floor and were now covered in spiderwebs, items such as vases or flowerpots had fallen over. The carpet Cardia was standing on was dirty and looked greasy or burnt in places.

To anyone else it must have appeared like a dump, but it still sparked a feeling of nostalgia in Cardia. 

This was home.

She made her way past the door that would lead to the living room and instead entered the one at the far end of the hallway. Cardia knew exactly where she had to go, after all she had spent so much time here not too long ago. After walking through an adjacent, slightly darker hallway, she reached a large wooden double door. Gently, she put her hands on the handles and pressed them down at the same time.

The door hinges made a squeaking sound not quite unlike the entrance door to the mansion, but this time, Cardia didn’t pay attention to it.

Instead, her eyes were firmly focused on the room before her.

It was her old room.

Carefully, she closed the doors behind her and then took one slow, deliberate step after the other. 

Nothing inside the room had changed. Her dolls and stuffed animals were still strewn about the room, some sitting in neat rows by the wall, others were right in the middle, on the floor. At the back wall, she saw her miniature palace and miniature baroque church that had probably cost her father a small fortune. Her cuckoo clock on the wall was still ticking as always, the familiar sound making Cardia feel safe.

Her red armchair with the bronze colored framework stood in the middle of the room like always, enticing Cardia to take a seat.

She finally slipped out of her coat and let it drop to the floor, walking over slowly to the chair and wiping a bit of the dust off with her fingers before turning around and sitting down. She leaned against the soft material and sighed happily.

„Welcome home, Cardia Beckford!“

Adrenaline shot trough Cardia’s entire body when she heard the all-too-familiar voice, but before she could jump up from the chair and run, an arm was wrapped around her frame, holding her in place, while a gloved hand pressed a slightly soaked handkerchief to her mouth.

Even though her vision got rapidly hazy, Cardia still tried to struggle and fight against the attacker.

However, it was all in vain, as she eventually lost consciousness, falling limp in the arms of her captor: Jimmy Aleister.

~~**~~

„What do you mean ‚she’s gone‘?“ Saint-Germain asked. Behind him, Lupin had jumped up from his seat.

„I went to see her just like Saint-Germain had asked me to, but she was not in her room. Her bed didn’t look like it had been slept in,“ Victor replied, still breathing heavily.

„Did you check the rest of the mansion? Maybe she just decided to sleep somewhere else!“ Lupin chipped in.

Victor looked at him and shook his head. 

„As soon as I saw she wasn’t in her room, I searched the entire mansion. She’s nowhere to be found… and on top of that, her suitcase was gone…“

While a collective gasp escaped Lupin, Helsing and Impey, Saint-Germain remained silent. All the color seemed to drain from his face and he stumbled a couple of steps back until his calves hit the armchair behind him. He let himself fall onto it and buried his face in his hand, hunching over in defeat.

„Saint-Germain! Are you alright?“ Victor asked and hurried over to him.

„This is all my fault…“ Saint-Germain mumbled. „I… I shouldn’t have let her go back to her room all by myself. I should have made sure to go with her. How could I have been so careless?“

When Victor put his hand on Saint-Germain’s shoulder, the Count looked in his direction, but his gaze was unfocused, almost as if he was looking right through him. He kept on saying the same things over and over, constant tirade of blame all directed at himself.

„Saint-Germain, hang in there! You can’t just give up like that and lose all hope! We need you as a leader… now more than ever! I’m sure if we combine our efforts, we will find out where Cardia has gone!“

Victor’s words, combined with the fire sparkling in his eyes, served to pull the Count out of his stupor. For a moment, Victor’s eyes met Lupin’s and Helsing’s and for the first time in a while, consternation and shame was evident on their faces. Suddenly it dawned on them what their actions had caused.

„Have you found a note in her room? Anything that resembles a farewell letter?“ Impey inquired.

„No, unfortunately I haven’t,“ Victor answered, shaking his head. „I even searched in the drawers and on her nightstand. She left nothing of that sort…“

„…was it really that bad?“ Lupin suddenly asked, which caused everyone to look at him in surprise. „W-was I really so terrible that she felt the need to just disappear without telling us where she would go just so we couldn’t follow her?“

Helsing looked at him, then averted his gaze.

Victor pursed his lips and raised his eyebrows slightly, thinking about how to express what he was thinking as gently as possible, but eventually opted for the raw truth.

„…it was really bad. I don’t think you realize how you and Helsing acted and how much you scared Cardia. She was so incredibly upset… at the time I didn’t think that she would take it so much to heart that she would just run away, but… I was wrong. I should have… I should have stayed with her longer.“

„It’s not your fault, Victor. I think we should generally leave the self-blame for later and instead focus on finding her,“ Impey said and smiled at him in a bid to encourage him.

„You are right… wallowing in self-doubt and pity isn’t going to bring her back…“ Saint-Germain uttered weakly, still looking worse for wear, but at least a spark had returned to his eyes.

„Well, then lets consider if there is any place in London she could be at,“ Helsing said, crossing his arms as he took a seat on the couch.

„Is there a possibility she could have gone to Herlock Sholmes? I mean, she knows where he lives and we’ve been on friendly terms with him…“ Impey mused.

Lupin curled his lips in disgust and was quick to intersect that thought.

„Ugh, I hope not. I have no desire to visit that man now or in the future.“

Victor shot him a reproachful look.

„Lupin’s disdain for him aside, is it realistic to think that she’s at his house?“

„I don’t think so. We’ve only met him a couple of times and while we were at his residence before, I don’t think that Cardia would like to impose herself on him,“ Saint-Germain mused.

„I agree with that assessment,“ Helsing added.

„Well… then what other options are still there? What about Leonhardt? What if she herself had the idea to go to Buckingham Palace?“

„If that were the case, he would have contacted us, Impey. I know that because when I went to Buckingham Palace to talk to Her Majesty and Leonhardt, I told them that she would move out today and that she would be accompanied by either me or Victor in any case. Any deviation from that would have meant him informing me.“

„Then… where else could she be?“

As soon as those words had left Impey’s mouth, the door to the lounge opened and Delly walked in. He stopped in his tracks upon seeing the concerned faces of everyone in the room.

„What the hell’s going on with you guys? You look like somebody died.“

„Now is not the best time, Delly. We have more pressing issues at the moment…“ Helsing snarked, causing the young Vampire to shoot him a confused look.

„What happened?“ 

„Cardia… has disappeared,“ Victor replied.

A snort of amusement escaped Delly.

„Man, has she finally had enough of you losers? That took her way too long…“ he quipped, causing Helsing to jump up. In a flash he was right in front of Delly, grabbing him by the collar and pulling him up to his eye level.

„I’ve had enough of your disrespectful behavior! It’s time you learnt some manners…“ Helsing hissed, but Delly didn’t flinch.

„ **MY** disrespectful behavior? Please remind me again, dear Helsing, who you own your life to! If it hadn’t been for my goodwill after Cardia convinced me to help you, you would be pushing daisies now!“ 

„Stop it you two, stop it!“ Impey shouted and ran over to them, putting his hand over Helsing’s and pressing his arm down gently, but firmly until Delly’s feet were back on the floor. „Delly, we don’t really need more stress and fighting among us. It’s difficult enough as it is.“

Delly kept on holding Helsing’s gaze for a couple more seconds before he looked over to Impey.

„You should know that you’re the only one who is allowed to talk to me like that, Impey,“ he said and crossed his arms while walking a couple of steps away from Helsing.

„So tell me,“ he continued, „why has she disappeared? I mean, there has got to be something that happened that caused her to run off, no?“

Suddenly, everyone in the room was rather quiet. They looked from one person to the other, none of them wanting to be the one who told him. Maybe it was at that moment that they realized how embarrassing their behavior had been, if looked at from the outside. Eventually, it was Lupin, who spoke.

„Well… to be honest with you… we all each got romantically involved with Cardia over the course of the last couple of months and…“

He trailed off, but Delly wasn’t born yesterday. Despite how young he might have looked, he was older and wiser than his appearance might have suggested.

„Oh, don’t tell me that you started fighting over her?“

Not all of us, but… yes,“ Helsing answered.

Delly shook his head and laughed.

„You humans and that blasted ‚jealousy‘ of yours… you really are a race of idiots…“

„As if Vampires were any different…“ Helsing muttered, causing Delly to stop laughing and shoot him a dirty look.

„Actually, yes, we are,“ he replied, then confusion crossed Delly’s face and he turned to Impey. „Didn’t you tell them?“

„Uh, tell them what exactly?“ he responded, reciprocating the puzzled expression.

„That Vampires are polyamorous. Don't tell me you didn’t know that?“

„…no, I didn’t. But then again, my relatives died when I was very young. It’s not like I had someone to explain all these things to me…“ Impey replied.

„So what you’re meaning to tell us is that Vampires are usually having more than one partner and that humanity should aspire to that?“ Lupin asked, his voice snarky.

„No, I’m telling you that you guys should stop being so egoistic and stop putting your feelings above Cardia’s for a start.“

Delly sighed in frustration before he continued.

„You have never once considered how she’s feeling, am I right? I tend to stay away from you guys for the most part, but I do occasionally catch sight of you and Cardia. If there’s one thing I’m good at assessing, it’s emotions and _BOY_ , believe me when I say that she has it bad for you all.“

The others were gobsmacked at that revelation, but Delly was far from being finished.

„That’s a surprise to you, huh? Of course it is, since you were all so busy with claiming tenure over her and having a competition among yourselves, that you were totally blind to it. And now the thing has happened that was bound to eventually happen: She got overwhelmed with the situation and ran from it. And now she’s gone.“

Delly had finally voiced out loud what they had been dreading to admit to themselves all along. A heavy silence fell over the room. 

Finally, after a long time, Saint-Germain was the one who spoke first.

„I think that while it was good that someone on the outside gave us his perspective on the situation, sitting here and mulling over it isn’t going to move us forward. We should once more try to pull together as a team and try to think about where we need to go to bring Cardia back to us. Everything else we’ll deal with along the way.“

The others nodded slowly.

„We have considered all the places in London she could have gone to. To be honest, I have no idea where else to look…“ Impey mentioned sadly.

„Why are you only considering places in London?“ 

The looks of confusion directed at Delly as soon as he had asked the question didn’t elude him.

„No, honestly, you didn’t consider that she might have taken a carriage or the train out of London? I mean, she’s not originally from here as far as I know, right?“

„Of course… why didn’t I think of it before?“ Saint-Germain muttered and started laughing. He looked at the others with newfound determination before stating the inevitable.

„Cardia is in Wales.“

~~**~~

_Drip, drip, drip…_

The slow, constant sound of something dripping in the distance was the first thing Cardia heard when consciousness started to come back to her.

_‚Rain?‘_

She tried to focus her senses, but the haze surrounding her mind was still too heavy. 

_‚…W-where am I…?‘_

Sleep was eagerly trying to pull her under again and she kept on fighting a fruitless battle against it. With each passing moment, the desire to close her eyes grew stronger and she knew she’d eventually lose.

„Oh? What am I seeing here? Our little Princess is awake? But that shouldn’t be! You know, since we’re expecting company, I want you to be your best rested self. Now - go back to sleep!“

Despite the kind nature of its words, Jimmy Aleister’s voice was not at all gentle, a sinister tone resonating within. Cardia tried to lift her head, to finally force herself to shake off whatever he had administered her.

„Stubborn, are we? If I tell you to go to sleep…“ 

In a flash he had moved to her side and Cardia yelped when she felt something prick her skin. Within a fraction of a second, another, more severe wave of tiredness swept over her that was too overwhelming to beat.

„…then you will go to sleep.“

Jimmy Aleister clicked his tongue in annoyance and chucked the empty syringe to the side, then got up and left the room.

Cardia thought of Saint-Germain, Lupin, Helsing, Victor and Impey, their faces appearing clear before her inner eye, before she finally lost consciousness for good.

~~**~~

„Wales? What makes you so sure she has gone back there, Saint-Germain?“ Helsing asked.

„It’s the only thing that makes sense when you think about it,“ he replied. „I didn’t realize it until Delly brought it up. Don’t forget that her father’s mansion is still standing there. It is technically hers and going to Wales by train doesn’t take more than a couple of hours…“

„He’s right. Considering that Cardia is someone who would rather travel farther and not try to impose herself on someone else, it really is the only option left,“ Lupin mused.

„So what should we do now?“

„What else, Victor? We go to Wales and get her back!“ Impey exclaimed excitedly, before a realization hit him. Unfortunately… after my little trip with Cardia, the airship is not way too small to hold us all, so that is out of the question…“

„Then we’ll just have to take the same means of transportation as Cardia did. We’ll take the train,“ Helsing stated matter-of-factly.

„I think we can all agree that we shouldn’t waste any more time. The sooner we get to Cardia, the better and without attracting too much attention. Don’t forget that Jimmy Aleister, Twilight and Nightfall are hard on our heels.“

„What are you proposing, Saint-Germain? Should we all travel separately?“

„No, Helsing, that is way too dangerous. Must I remind you of what happened to you? We have to stay together as group at all cost. Only then do we stand a chance.“

„And who’s going to take care of the mansion when you’re all gone?“ Delly piped up.

„Well…“ Saint-Germain started as he turned to him, „I was hoping that we could depend on you for that, Delly. Not on your own though. It would be best if you informed Leonhardt and asked him for troupes for support and protection.“

„I knew it…“ Delly grumbled. „You keep on asking me for favors like that… Why should I do that?“

„Please, Delly. We need your help. There’s no one else we could ask. You’re part of our group now, aren’t you?“ Impey smiled at him and lightly patted his back.

„Part of…?! I never was part of your stupid group! But… since it’s you Impey, I guess I can make an exception…“

Impey pulled Delly into a crushing hug.

„Thank you so, so much, Delly!“

„Grah, what are you doing, you doofus?! Put me down! Is this how you treat your future King?!“

He beat his fists against Impey’s shoulders in a bid to free himself, but it was in vain, so he had to wait until Impey would loosen his grip. As soon as he did, Delly tried to get as much distance between them as possible, lest he tried to do it again.

„Alright… so, Delly, I want you to go to Buckingham Palace to talk to Leonhardt and convince him to escort you back to the mansion with a group of soldiers,“ Saint-Germain said. „Please make sure to try and be back as soon as possible.“

„Well, then I’ll get going right away. Shouldn’t take that long, since I’m faster than any of you anyway…“ Delly trailed off, then left the room.

Saint-Germain turned to address the others.

„In the meantime, I want everyone else to go to their rooms and prepare what you want to take with you. Mind you, we shouldn’t be traveling with heavy baggage, just whatever we can wear on our bodies. Any sort of concealable weapons, knives, guns, etc., is what you should be taking with you. The same goes for chemicals, Victor.“

„Understood.“

„I want you all to be done by the time Delly is back, so it’s best if you start right away. I will be preparing a couple of things myself, too…“

As soon as he had said it, everyone was already rushing out of the lounge and to their respective rooms to prepare.

„Cardia… I hope my hunch isn’t right…“

~~**~~

„Wait up for me, young Prince!“ Leonhardt gasped as he tried to keep up with Delly. About two to three dozen soldiers followed right on his heel as they made their way to Saint-Germain’s mansion.

„It’s Delacroix for you! And is this really all you can do? You humans are honestly so pitiable and yet you still somehow managed to screw my race over…“

„I am very sorry, but this is all I can do… especially at my age!“ Leonhardt huffed back. It was at that moment that he started to curse his profession. Just a little bit, at least.

At last they had finally reached the walls of Saint-Germain’s estate and Leonhardt watched as Delly dashing around the corner into the driveway.

‚Just a little bit more…‘ he tried to mentally encourage himself as he tried to pick up the pace one more time.

The young Vampire nearly burst through the front door, shouting **„WE’RE BACK!“** through the whole property.

Less than a minute later, Saint-Germain appeared on the top of the stairs, clad in his fine robes, as always. 

„Leonhardt! Thank you so much for being able to come here so quickly. We really appreciate it.“

As he walked down the steps, the other men started pouring into the foyer, just as impeccably dressed. Helsing was busy loading up his handguns, then one by one put them inside the holsters on his hips, as well as into the inner pockets of his coat. Victor was counting his vials holding multi-colored chemicals of some sort once more for good measure, while Lupin and Impey looked like they were pretty much ready to go.

„Of course I came right away! It was such a shock to hear that Cardia has disappeared! You guys were lucky that I could bring about 30 of my best men. We will make sure that no one enters this mansion while you are gone!“

„Thank you. I know we can rely on you and your men,“ Saint-Germain said, smiling.

„Well then,“ he turned around to face the others. „Are we complete? Does everyone have everything they need? Now’s the last time to check before we leave.“

„We’re good, Saint-Germain. I think it’s time we left,“ Helsing said, looking over to the long case clock that relentlessly counted the seconds ticking by.

„Yes, please, there’s no need for any more words. Just… bring Miss Cardia back home safely, will you?“ Leonhardt said.

„We will.“

„Well, then, let’s go,“ Lupin uttered and went first, the others following him in close proximity.

Delly, who was standing beside Leonhardt, muttered something that sounded quite like „If you don’t bring her back, I’m going to end you“, but the door had already closed behind them.

~~**~~

When the group reached the train station, the midday sun was already high above London, the city bustling with people. There weren’t many trains going directly to Wales that day, so they had to make sure to catch the earliest one.

On the way, they had constantly checked their surroundings, making sure they weren’t followed or being watched. So far, things had appeared to be in the clear. But Jimmy Aleister wasn’t to be underestimated and each and every one of them knew that.

One could never be careful enough.

They eventually reached the train station without any incidents. So far, everything was running smoothly. Perhaps a bit too smoothly, at least according to Helsing. He couldn’t help but think that something was slightly off.

Lupin, Impey and Victor were walking ahead of Saint-Germain and him, heading directly for the correct platform, so he took the chance to stop him without the others noticing.

„Saint-Germain… do you have a minute before we board the train?“

The Count turned around

„What is it?“

„Don’t you think that there’s something a bit off?“

„What exactly do you mean?“

„I mean… our trip to here has been quite uneventful. Despite us having traveled on foot in broad daylight. Usually Jimmy Aleister would wait for a chance like that, don’t you think?“

„Are you worried that he’s following us and preparing for an ambush while on the train?“

Sometimes Abraham Helsing was convinced that Saint-Germain could read his mind and this time was no exception.

„Actually, yes, I do.“

„Well, I don’t think he’s going to take such a risky move as to attack us on a crowded train in broad daylight. I think even with the combined manpower of Twilight and Nightfall, this would only create problems for him. In any case… I didn’t tell you all to pack your weapons for nothing…“

„I see… so our thought process is pretty much the same…“

„Are you guys coming? The train will be leaving soon!“ Impey shouted and waved his arm to get their attention. 

„We’re coming, Impey, you don’t have to make such a ruckus!“ Helsing replied, exchanging one more look with Saint-Germain before they went to the platform where Lupin had already bought tickets for them to Wales and boarded the train.

~~**~~

How much time had passed? 

Cardia couldn’t, for the life of her, remember anymore.

Forcing her mind to fight through the overwhelming haze pressing down on it seemed like an enormous struggle in itself, one that she just did not have the energy for.

„Be careful when you lift her up. I still need her in one piece…“

The voice came from somewhere above her, but where exactly was impossible to pinpoint for her.

„If I’m right with my assumption, then it won’t take long for those five idiots to waltz right through the front door to get their precious doll back… it is ridiculous how easy they are to read…“

Cardia wanted to say something, to spat in his face how he should leave them alone, but her vocal chords failed her. She was able to open her eyes a tiny bit and caught a glimpse of Jimmy Aleister leaning over her face.

„Oh? Seems like our little Princess is not fully asleep! Fascinating how she can still fight against the drug, even though we’ve administered twice the dose of it…“

„Do you want me to give her another shot, Master?“

„No, that won’t be necessary. Look at her. She is awake, but barely so. She will fall back asleep in no time.“

As soon as Aleister had said it, Cardia could feel her eyelids getting heavier, as if they were made out of lead. Not long after that, she lost the fight and slipped into unconsciousness.

~~**~~

Victor Frankenstein usually loved train rides. If it hadn’t been for the tense situation, he might have even been able to enjoy it.

As soon as everyone had taken their seat in their compartment and closed the door, an awkward silence spread out in the tiny space almost instantly. 

The train had been on its way to Wales for around 30 minutes now and the entire time, it felt like there was a constant build-up of pressure. Victor didn’t quite know how to interpret the atmosphere, whether to expect anyone to crack a joke in an attempt to lighten the mood, or to expect someone starting a fight. Either way, it was only a matter of time until _something_ had to happen.

Impey was eventually the first one to say something.

„I’m… just going to go head out for a bit. I won’t stray far from our compartment, so don’t worry.“

Just like that he was already up from his seat and out of the door.

Victor sighed. Apparently, the pressure of sitting in such close proximity to Lupin was still a bit too much. Since their fight, both Lupin and Impey hadn’t really talked to each other like they used to and Lupin hadn’t apologized yet either.

Victor looked over to him and realized that when Impey had gotten up and spoken, he had watched him intently with a sad expression on his face. Lupin’s gaze was actually still fixed on the door, as if he was contemplating whether or not to follow him. Eventually he felt Victor stare at him and he looked over to him, whereupon Victor cocked his head and raised his eyebrows slightly, hoping that Lupin would get the hint.

In a bid to try and not attract everybody else’s attention, he silently mouthed „I know, I know“ to Victor, the action just the tiniest bit annoyed, like a child that was forced by its parents to apologize to the neighbor whose window he had bashed in. 

„I’ll be right back,“ he said to the others as he got up, walked over to the door and stepped out. Once he was in the corridor of the moving train, he saw a couple of people who were leaning against the railing in front of the wide glass front, watching the landscape pass by. At the far end of it, where there were no people, was Impey, who was looking out of the window as well, a forlorn look on his face.

Impey didn’t turn to look at him when Lupin slowly walked up, but Lupin knew that he had noticed him.

„Hey,“ Lupin said and it was then that Impey looked at him.

„Hey,“ he responded.

Then they both fell silent and the awkwardness from earlier threatened to reappear once more. Lupin, however, decided to cut it short.

„Listen, Impey… I think it’s time I fess up to my terrible, wrong behavior and apologize.“

A look of genuine surprise crossed Impey’s face and he watched Lupin as he continued to speak.

„I… was an asshole. I shouldn’t have treated you that way. How I behaved was basically due to jealousy and that’s why I overreacted. This isn’t an excuse in any way, but I just wanted to let you know that I was taken over by feelings that I had suppressed for so long and… I guess in my rage I needed an outlet. You are the last person I should have blamed for my inability to face my feelings and I still feel incredibly ashamed of what I did. We both go way back and have been friends for such a long time… I was wrong and I’m sorry.“

Impey, who had listened intently to Lupin’s apology, was starting to smile widely. He grabbed Lupin’s hands and squeezed them until it was almost too painful.

„You have no idea how happy I am! I was afraid you’d never forgive me and that we’d never be able to rekindle our friendship…“

„Wait a second, Impey!“ Lupin reciprocated in surprise, „there’s nothing to forgive you, it was all my fault. Not yours.“

Surprised, Impey let go of his hands.

„B-But… w-what I did with Cardia was…“

Laughter bubbled up in Lupin’s chest.

„Oh, Impey… that was just you acting on your feelings and impulses. I mean, it’s not like I didn’t do that either… I won’t hold that against you anymore.“

Impey was quiet for a moment, letting Lupin’s words sink in. Before he could reply, Lupin spoke again.

„So what do you say… are we friends again?“

„Of course!“ Impey beamed. 

„You don’t know how relieved I am to hear that, old friend,“ Lupin replied, reciprocating his smile. Then his facial expression turned pensive and he looked out the window again.

„I just wonder what we’re going to do with that little problem of ours…“

„Problem?“

„I mean with Cardia. I don’t want her to live somewhere else, separated from us. I do want her with us, in our midst… but if we cannot come to terms with our jealousy, that is going to prove a very difficult task indeed. And Saint-Germain’s patience has already worn out…“

„Is the thought of you having to share Cardia with someone else really that terrible?“ Impey looked at Lupin intently.

„I don’t know it… it just doesn’t sit right with me somehow? Not because it’s you guys, but just because that’s how I was raised. I was raised to see that only two people fall in love and spend their lives together. But more than that? I just… don’t see how that can happen without any jealousy…“

„But there must be something fueling that jealousy of yours? I don’t know, I… I keep on thinking of Delly’s words. I honestly didn’t know about Vampires being polyamorous but I guess now that I know it, a lot makes sense,“ Impey replied and Lupin listened intently. „I never felt any sense of jealousy regarding Cardia. I just… knew that I was in love with her and felt really inadequate and unloved. I was convinced she wasn’t into me. But that was the only problem I had. I didn’t have a problem with any of you being with her. Maybe it’s because it’s you, I knew I could trust you to treat her well.“

Impey’s gaze was piercing when he posed his next question.

„Do you think that the jealousy issue is due to the fact that some of us don’t trust each other?“

To Lupin it felt like Impey had hit him with the biggest, most painful epiphany of his life. Suddenly, everything made perfect sense. Every little detail seemed to fall into place like pieces of a puzzle. Why Victor had never shown any jealousy. Why Impey was so quick to forgive him and why Saint-Germain didn’t have a problem with the fact that the others had spent fevered nights with Cardia as well.

„Oh shit… you’re right…“ he mumbled before shaking his head and laughing at the absurdity of the situation. It had taken him so long to realize it. „I think it mostly boils down to Helsing and me and our mutual distrust.“

„Why do you think that is? Why do you distrust each other?“

„That’s a good question. Why indeed? I guess from the moment I first met him, I was wary of him. As if he could turn on me and stab me in the back for whatever reason. Even though he has never given me a reason to think that.“

Impey pursed his lips and looked at Lupin with a contemplative expression.

„So you don’t think you two could ever make up and start trusting each other? Maybe even become friends?“

„Who knows? You saw how stubborn we both can be. I think a literal miracle would have to occur for us two to stop clashing…“

Once Lupin saw the sadness washing over Impey’s face, he quickly continued.

„Oh, come on, Impey. Don’t look so sad. I’m sure in the end, everything will turn out fine. Somehow. What do we say we go back to join the others? They must already be wondering where we are.“

„Sure…“ Impey replied, his voice trailing off at the end.

As they both walked back to their compartment, Lupin thought about how he hadn’t been completely honest with Impey. In fact, he was painfully aware of why exactly he distrusted Helsing and why he knew the other man distrusted him. From the moment both men had met each other, there had been an unspoken rivalry between them. While it had been amicable at first, it had quickly escalated and eventually culminated in their possessiveness regarding Cardia.

If both of them were able to somehow conquer that rivalry, only then would there be a chance of reconciliation and eventual friendship.

For Lupin, however, the chances of that happening were, realistically, non-existent.

~~**~~

After a little more than four hours of traveling and early in the afternoon, the steam train finally reached their destination and slowly rolled into the station with a loud whistle.

The five men tried not to attract too much attention and purposefully waited until a couple of other passengers had gotten off the train before doing so themselves, trying to mingle with the crowd. Flowing with the stream of people, they headed for the exit, while making sure that no one was following them. So far, none of Aleister’s henchmen had shown itself and it was starting to make Saint-Germain nervous.

If they hadn’t been following them from London, that could only have meant one thing…

Once they were outside and had walked a considerable distance, Saint-Germain asked everybody to stop for a moment, to talk their next steps through.

„Lupin, I think it’s safe to say that you know this area better than anyone else,“ he said. „After all, you’ve been here before. If it’s alright with everyone else, I would like to formally hand over the leadership to him.“

Victor and Impey were quick to agree, while Helsing took just a little while longer, looking unnerved.

„Helsing? Is it alright with you?“ Saint-Germain asked, carefully observing the play of emotions on the blond man’s face.

„Yes, of course. Anything that helps us reach Cardia quicker is alright with me.“

Still, Helsing avoided looking at Lupin directly, as he said it. Saint-Germain sighed and hoped that those two would be able to put their differences aside just long enough. The Count turned to Lupin.

„Well then, Lupin… I think it’s best if we get moving.“

„I agree. Let’s not waste any more time.“

With that, he started walking ahead of the group, the others following him in close proximity. 

Much like Cardia before them, it took them a couple of hours until they could finally see the mansion in the distance. By now, the sun had already begun to set, so they would reach it just when night was about to fall, which was something they would all have avoided if possible. The fact that so far none of Aleister’s henchmen had followed them was not only extremely fishy, but worrying. 

It all started to suspiciously look like a trap. Should their hunch be right, then that would mean that Cardia, too, was in danger. However, there was only one way to find out.

Once they had reached the property, Lupin turned to brief the others before entering the mansion. To Victor, Helsing, Saint-Germain and Impey, this was unfamiliar terrain and thus could prove fatal in a fight.

Upon Lupin’s request, the others huddled around him as he was squatting down and picked up a twig to draw an outline and makeshift blueprint into the ground.

„Okay, here’s what is to know about this mansion before we enter. Isaac Beckford built this mansion with one purpose in mind: Protecting his research.“

Lupin had finished drawing the two floors of the mansion and pointed to the cylindrical, silver tower on the east wing of the building.

„This tower is where his documents are stored and where some of his experiments were carried out. Although the tower has windows, they are very narrow and have bars, so entering from the outside is impossible. The only way to enter is from the roof on the second floor. Now, here’s where it gets interesting.“

Lupin now moved the twig to point to the entrance of the mansion and drew it along to support his explanations.

„As you can see, once you enter the mansion, you are in a very small antechamber that leads directly into a long hallway, winding to the west of the mansion, or left if you will. Once you go through another door, you are in an extension of that hallway. To the right is the living room, but if you go farther ahead, you reach a small bedroom that is Cardia’s.“

The others listened intently, trying to memorize everything as quickly as possible. 

„Through that room you reach another hallway across the north side of the mansion with a door leading to the lounge. Pass the door again and you are in another room. You have to walk through this one yet again to reach the library that has the only staircase, and a spiral one at that, leading to the second floor.“

„Wait a second… that bastard built it so that it would take longer for an intruder to reach him in his tower, isn’t it?“ Helsing asked, putting his gloved finger on the sketch and followed the drawings.

„That’s exactly it. If you look at the sketch of the second floor…“ Lupin answered, pointing to the blueprint of the second floor, where the spiral staircase ended, „…once you reach the second floor, you’re hypothetically very close to the tower, but you have no way of entering it yet. You have to pass yet another three or four hallways until you reach a room that leads to a set of stairs to the roof. Once you are there, you have to walk quite the narrow walkway to the tower and then…“

„…probably a security door and panel, am I right?“

„Yes, there is a heavy security door with two panels. One is a sensor that recognizes finger and palm prints, so it’ll open for Beckford and for no one else. But there is also another panel where you can input a code should the other sensor not work. Unfortunately, the code is 30 digits long…“

„30 digits?! You have got to be kidding me… you think he was able to remember it all correctly?“

„I’m pretty sure of it, yes. After all, this is Isaac Beckford we are talking about.“

„Well, Lupin, is there anything else we should know? Any secret rooms you know of?“ Saint-Germain asked.

„Not that I know of, no. When I was in the mansion, I couldn’t find anything, but that doesn’t mean they don’t exist. I’m pretty convinced that there has to be a secret escape route out of the house as well…“

„Okay then. I think we know what we need to know. Did you all remember the layout of the mansion?“ Saint-Germain turned to look at Victor, Impey and Helsing, who affirmed the question.

„Well then, I think we should head inside. But remember: Keep your guard up at all time,“ Lupin added, before erasing the drawings with a couple of kicks of his boot. Then he got up and led the group through the overgrown garden to the front door. 

He put his hand on the knob and turned it slowly, trying to open it as silently as possible. It still made a significant creaking and Lupin could hear Helsing cursing behind him. They stepped into the antechamber and from there inched slowly towards the hallway, prepared that something could jump them at any given moment.

„It’s way too quiet for my liking…“ Helsing could be heard whispering as his fingers closed around his gun tightly.

„I agree…“ Lupin responded.

„Do you think we should check in the living room to see if Cardia is there?“ Victor asked and moved to put his hand on the knob when Helsing grabbed it and pulled it away, shaking his head.

„It’s better if I check first. Just in case.“

Victor nodded and stepped out of his way. Helsing checked his gun, then, with the muzzle pointed downwards, he got a hold of the doorknob and twisted it. Once the door was open by just a tiny crack, he stepped inside, his handgun at the ready and quickly assessed the situation in the room. To his relief, there was no one in there, but to his disappointment, that also meant that Cardia had to be somewhere else.

„This room’s clear,“ he informed the others, who were now taking a peek inside the room. Truly, it looked like no one had been here in a while, with thick layers of dust covering the furniture and dust bunnies floating like tiny ghosts across the floor.

„Let’s look inside her room,“ Lupin said and cocked his head into the direction of the room at the far end of the hallway. 

Again, Helsing checked to see if the coast was clear and gave the others a sign once he had confirmed that no one was in there waiting to ambush them. Still, he couldn’t help but feel a growing feeling of unease and dread. Years of experience and the most recent run-in he had had with Nightfall had taught Helsing to listen to his gut feeling and it was screaming danger at him.

Still, he knew that there was no way not to go on. He, like the others, wanted Cardia back safe and sound in their midst. 

„Well, shall we go on?“ Saint-Germain asked and so they crossed the room and entered the hallway to the north. It was there that Helsing started to feel like his nervous system was on fire. His entire body was in a state of heightened alarm, just like it always was when he knew the enemy was close.

„I want everyone to check their weapons carefully before they enter. I have a strong feeling that we’re about to need them…“ Helsing said and exchanged knowing looks with the others. There was no need to mention a name.

There was only one person who could be anticipating them beside Cardia.

Once everyone had confirmed that they were as ready as they could ever be, Helsing didn’t waste any time and opted to kick the door open.

However, the sight that greeted him and the others, was far beyond anything they could have ever expected.

At the far back wall of the room, in an imposing, large armchair with golden ornaments, sat Jimmy Aleister. His posture was calm and collected, almost lazy as he leaned his head against his left arm. Flanking him to his left and right were about 40 to 60 men, both Twilight and Nightfall soldiers, ready to strike. But that wasn’t the most shocking sight.

Cardia’s seemingly lifeless body was hung up on a rope hanging from the gallery right above Jimmy Aleister, her arms extended from her torso and bound to a wooden cross, while her feet were bound together. It evoked a deliberate image of crucification in a twisted, disgusting attempt to taunt and rile up the five men. And it worked.

„Aleister, you bastard!“ Helsing shouted.

„Ah… I see you’ve made it to our little party!“ Aleister replied, his voice amused. „I’m so glad you could make it.“

„I will give you five seconds to release her before I am filling your brain with silver bullets… and believe me, if she is harmed in any way, I will make sure to draw out your death as long as possible!“

„Oooh, I am shivering. You should do something about these anger issues of yours, Helsing. They can’t be good for your health…“ Aleister said before taking a more upright position and slowly crossed his legs. „But don’t worry. Your little doll is unharmed. Well, aside from the sleeping serum I administered. We even had to double the dose, as she was fighting pretty heavily against it…“

„Unhand her immediately, Aleister!“ Victor exclaimed, his usually friendly face contorted into an expression of fury.

„Yeah, you better, or else…!“ Impey added but was interrupted by Aleister laughing loudly.

„‚Or else‘ what? You really think you stand a chance? Just look around this room!“ Aleister uncrossed his legs and slowly got up from the armchair. I have about eight times the number of men than your little group of misfits poses! I will finally be able to finish you and once you will all lie dead on the floor, I will make sure to wake your little angel up…“

Aleister looked up towards Cardia, a disgusting smirk on his lips.

„…and once she realizes you are all dead, I will snuff out her life as well… It will be grand!“

„You are such a sick bastard, Aleister. I should have killed you when I had the chance to do so…“ Helsing spat out.

„Oh really? Just like that one time when I surrounded you with less men and you nearly bled to death? Unfortunately I hadn’t considered that Saint-Germain…“ he replied, turning his attention to the Count, continuing with a sound of disdain in his voice, „…would be a spanner in the works for me…“

Saint-Germain didn’t reply, only starting at him with an intense gaze of hatred, while his fingers slowly wandered to the daggers he wore concealed underneath his coat.

„I think it’s time that we end this, Aleister… once and for all…“ Lupin snarled.

„I agree… I can’t wait to see how you intend to amuse me before you draw your last breath…“ Aleister retorted, then he lifted his left hand and clicked his fingers. 

Within a fraction of a second, the men surrounding him gave a battle cry and darted at the five men. 

Victor and Impey immediately moved toward each other, one giving the other rear cover as best as possible. While Impey fought the soldiers head on with nothing but his fists, trying to evade their attacks before swinging his arm to land a hit, Victor was using his vials, filled with all sorts of different kinds of chemicals. 

As one Twilight soldier jumped at him with his sword, he ducked quickly before throwing a mixture of vials in his face, which immediately exploded and burned his flesh away as he screamed in pain.

Saint-Germain on other other hand fought all by himself, his movements almost as fast as lightning. His daggers collided with the metal of multiple soldiers’ blades, pushing them back as if it was nothing. Before they could react, Saint-Germain had already moved behind them, pushing the blade right through one soldiers heart, then pulling back to stab it into the eye socket of another, everything happening in less than a second. With another fast twist, he jammed his other dagger through the back of a soldier, cutting right through the abdominal artery.

Aleister watched as the Count took down his men as if they were nothing but irritating flies. He wasn’t given much time to be annoyed, as Helsing came at him from the side, firing a round of bullets. 

While he surely wasn’t as fast as the Count, Jimmy Aleister had pretty good reflexes as well. He dodged the projectiles with ease and pulled out his own revolver. When he aimed at Helsing, however, he realized that Lupin, who had fought off a couple of soldiers as well, had his gaze fixed on Cardia and was preparing to jump.

„Oh no, you won’t! Pull her up!“ Aleister shouted and shot at Lupin, who rolled to the side.

A couple of Twilight soldiers on the gallery were quick to follow his orders and pulled on the rope so that the cross and Cardia were lifted higher, farther out of reach from Lupin.

„Shit!“ he cursed, causing Aleister to laugh.

„I am very sorry, but you won’t be getting your hands on Cardia. Not on my watch!“ 

„We’ll see about that…“ Helsing replied in Lupin’s stead, pointing the gun at his arm and shooting, the bullet grazing the older man’s arm. However, instead of dropping his weapon, he just winced, touching the spot where he was injured with the palm of his free hand. 

„As I was saying… today is the day when you will die, Helsing…“ Aleister said and lifted his hand, aiming his weapon at the blond man. Before he could pull the trigger, however, he felt a menacing presence behind him and turned around just in time to have his weapon forcefully collide with Saint-Germain’s dagger. The Count’s icy blue eyes were sparkling with fury, a dark and certain promise of death within them. 

„Alright… then I’ll just kill you first, Count. I’ve been wanting to interrupt your killing of my men anyway…“

Aleister quickly fired a round of bullets at Saint-Germain, all of which he successfully deflected with his daggers with ease. He countered with his very own attack, jumping at Aleister in an attempt to ram his blade through the other man’s heart, but he evaded his hits just as well.

Truly, Jimmy Aleister was not to be underestimated.

Seeing that Aleister was preoccupied with Saint-Germain, Lupin used his chance to jump on the nearest reading table and from there up to the gallery, holding on to the wooden poles. He pulled himself up and was immediately greeted by a Nightfall soldier’s blade. Before it could strike him, Lupin hopped to the side, watching as the soldier hit the air and topple over the gallery down to the floor below.

„Not today, my friend…“ Lupin muttered and hurried onwards to where Cardia was suspended. Three more soldiers came at him, hindering him from proceeding. Dodging their hits as best as he could, Lupin managed to throw one of them over the gallery as well, then pushed one of them into the approaching soldier, knocking them out. 

Lupin got a hold of the enormous wooden cross and pulled it towards him. He took a small folding knife out of his coat pocket and started cutting the ropes as carefully and as fast as he could. The task proved to be more time-consuming than he had expected and he kept on nervously watching the two soldiers that lay not far from him. They could come back to their senses any minute now.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, he managed to free Cardia from all the shackles and cradled her gently in his arms. Panicked, he checked her pulse to see if she was indeed still alive. To his relief, he could feel one, but it was dangerously low. 

„That god damn bastard…“ 

Just as the soldiers were groaning and coming back to, Lupin had already prepared to jump from the gallery to the armchair below. He made sure to shield Cardia, then climbed on the wooden grate and took the plunge. As his feet made contact with the chair and his knees gave in with a stinging pain, he groaned.  
But he had managed to get Cardia to the lower floor without her getting hurt.

As he took a moment to catch his breath, Cardia groaned and writhed ever so slightly in his arms.

„Cardia?!“ Lupin exclaimed, lifting her closer to his face to see if she was perhaps waking up. 

**„Lupin, watch out!“**

He had been so immersed in his worry regarding Cardia, that Lupin didn’t realize what was going on around him. It wasn’t until he heard Helsing’s voice, shouting at him, that he was brought back to reality. He turned around to see a Nightfall soldier in mid-air, the arm that held the long, pointed blade pulled back, ready to strike, but it was too late for him to react.

Lupin closed his eyes and expected the strike…

…but it never came.

Surprised, he opened his eyes again to see Helsing looming over him in a protective stance. The soldier’s blade had pierced through his left shoulder, as the pointed end was slightly poking out on the front, with droplets of blood hitting Lupin’s face that was frozen from shock. Helsing groaned when the soldier pulled the blade back out and blood spilled out of the wound onto the ground.

In a rage, the blond man turned around, pointed the muzzle of his gun right at the Nightfall soldiers forehead and pulled the trigger over and over, until he had buried a whole round of bullets in his brain. The soldier’s lifeless body toppled over and remained lying on the ground. 

„Fucking bastard…“ Helsing ground out, his breathing labored. 

„Helsing, are you alright?“

„I’m fine. He didn’t hit any vital spots, but it still hurts like a motherfucker when someone pushes a blade right through your muscles… Shit!“

Lupin watched in silence as Helsing pressed his gloved hand on the wound to stop the bleeding. 

„…you saved my life,“ he stated matter-of-factly.

„Technically I saved both Cardia’s and your life… but yes,“ he replied, sounding somewhat sheepish.

„Why did you do that?“ Lupin asked and Helsing turned to him with an expression of confusion on his face.

„What do you mean? Would you have preferred it if I had just let that guy turn your face into a meat skewer?“

„No, that’s not what I meant… I mean… after that terrible fight of ours… after all those things we have said to each other… you still went ahead and saved me.“

„Of course I did,“ Helsing replied, furrowing his brows. „Listen, there is something that I realized when Cardia disappeared and something I thought about during the entire train journey to Wales. Even though it is something we both might not have liked to admit to ourselves… but we are kindred souls. Not just because of our shared love for Cardia, but also because of our beliefs and our approach to situations. I’m sure you must have thought so too at least once.“

Lupin was quiet, but Helsing was completely right. 

„I think, given the pressure we were all under and given the fact that you probably felt as much frustration about Cardia as I did at one point, I was too harsh on you. For a while, I myself didn’t know why I just… was so annoyed with you all the time, but… I think I know now. I always saw you as a rival.“

„You too?“ Lupin replied thoughtfully. „I was just talking about this with Impey on the train… how I had felt an immense rivalry between us from the start, even though there had never been anything you did to challenge me.“

„See? We are kindred souls indeed. I felt just the same as you. And instead of acting like adults and trying to turn this spiritual kinship into a friendship, we wasted time with fighting until we managed to antagonize Saint-Germain…“

„Do you think it is too late? For us to turn things around and become… friends?“ Lupin asked, carefully, as if he was afraid of Helsing’s answer.

„Well, I think us apologizing to each other shows that we’re not a lost cause, don’t you think?“ Helsing replied and smiled. „I would be delighted if we could finally put our differences to rest and build a friendship. As for the rest… well, let’s just get out of this hell first before we worry about that.“

Helsing was right. Around them, the fight was still raging. He became acutely aware of how dangerous this location was, especially for the still unconscious Cardia in his arms. Lupin looked over to Impey and Victor, who were fighting courageously against the onslaught of soldiers, dodging and attacking successfully. 

Another soldier approached fast and despite his injury, Helsing managed to block his attack, disarm him and use his weapon against him, jamming it into the soldier’s neck. As soon as the soldier had collapsed, he threw the blade to the side and started reloading his weapon.

„Helsing… we need to get Cardia out of here. It’s way too dangerous.“

„I agree with you…“ Helsing reciprocated while working on his gun with incredibly fast speed. „…we need to bring her somewhere safe. We cannot concentrate on fighting when we’re busy trying to keep her away from harm. Also, we should make use of the fact that Aleister is still busy fighting with Saint-Germain…“

Both he and Lupin looked over to the Count being embroiled in the battle with Aleister. For a moment they were in absolute awe at how Saint-Germain’s movements were elegant, yet perilous. Neither he nor Aleister showed any weakness, not allowing the other to find an opening to attack successfully.

„But where should we take her? There’s not one room in the mansion that would be completely safe and unaccessible for Aleister’s henchmen…“ 

He trailed off and suddenly looked at Helsing, who was reciprocating his intense gaze.

„….except for Beckford’s tower…“ he finished the sentence for Lupin. He knelt down before Lupin and whispered. „This is the only place where neither Aleister, nor his henchmen can go. You have to take her there.“

„Me?“

„Yes, you. You are the most familiar with this mansion and would be able to reach it faster.“

„But what about the code? I don’t know it, I’ve told you that before!“

„I’m sure that Cardia knows. She’s about to wake up, you’ve seen her move and make some noise. I’m convinced that she will be awake in time.“

„Alright,“ Lupin replied, with firm resolution. He looked over to Aleister one more time to make sure he didn’t see him, then got up and dashed out of the room, as Helsing stayed back to make sure that no one would follow.

‚Thank you, Helsing,‘ Lupin thought as he ran, with Cardia on his arms, through the hallway into the adjacent room and from there into the library. He had to slightly slow down on the spiral staircase, but picked up speed again as soon as he was on the second floor. He passed the remaining hallways as quickly as possible, constantly turning around to make sure that he wasn’t being followed by anyone who might try to attack him from behind.

Finally he had reached the door leading out to the roof of the mansion. Lupin kicked it open with as much force as possible. The cool night air hit his face instantly and he took a deep breath before stepping out and onto the narrow walkway. Carefully, Lupin took one step after the other, trying to hold Cardia steady in his arms. He could feel them getting tired and he hoped that he’d hold out until he had reached the tower.

Halfway through, Lupin felt Cardia stirring and looked down to see her slowly coming to. He hurried onwards, jumping from the edge of the walkway to the platform in front of the tower and gently put Cardia down, who was now slowly opening her eyes.

„Arséne?“ she uttered, her voice slightly croaky.

„I’m here, Cardia. Everything’s going to be alright…“

„W-what are you doing here? How did you… know where I am?“

„I didn’t… Delly suggested you might have returned to Wales.“

„W-where are the others?“

„They are here as well, fighting with Aleister and his men.“

This revelation jolted Cardia out of her daze and she sat up.

„What?! B-but… we have to help them!“

„Don’t worry, they are perfectly capable of holding their own in a fight. So far, it is going good. But I had to get you out of the danger zone.“

„But Arséne, I can’t be sitting here and just wait until you finish fighting for me! You have done enough for me already!“ Cardia exclaimed and Lupin realized with shock that she was starting to cry. „I am just constantly getting you into danger! I- I don’t even deserve to be saved by you!“

„Listen to me, Cardia…“ Lupin said, cupping her face gently with the palms of his hands, forcing her to look at him, „don’t ever say such a thing again. What happened was our fault, not yours. It was our inability to face our demons and lay them out on the table for everyone to see. You had no part in this.“

He wiped away her tears with his thumbs as he spoke.

„When you disappeared, we were all worried sick and thought we’d never see you again. We had to get you back. You belong with us, in our midst.“

„B-but… you are fighting because of me…“

„Not anymore. I apologized to Impey and Helsing and I had an honest talk. I think we can finally move forward like adults and forge a future that consists of us being a unit of friends, rather than misfits.“

Cardia was silent for a moment, needing time to fully understand and process that information, then she smiled.

„So now I need your help, Cardia. Until this is all over, I want you to stay in your father’s tower. Do you know the code to enter?“

Cardia looked at him, the smile fading from her lips.

„No, I don’t… Father never told me the code…“

„Dammit…“ Lupin whispered, „so I carried you all the way up for nothing?“

„Uhm, not quite…“ she said, trying to push herself up. Lupin was immediately by her side, grasping her arms to help her stand. She was still a bit wobbly on her legs, but she wasn’t in danger of falling over. 

„I don’t know the code, but I know that father registered my handprint into the system… for emergencies…“

As she spoke, Cardia lifted her hand, pressing the palm against the sensor. With a small beep, a green light flashed and the door slid open.

Lupin and Cardia took a hesitant step inside, but it was too dark to see anything. Blindly, Lupin felt along the inner wall of the room until he touched a panel that suddenly bathed it in a golden glow.

„Incredible…“ he whispered, marveling at the interior. He saw items that he had never before seen in his life, things that looked like they were out of this world. Rows upon rows of tubes and vials filled with colored liquids, newfangled contraptions with mysterious use and a strange, square, metallic-looking apparatus. In the middle of the tower was another spiral staircase that led into the bowels of the tower.

„Have you ever been inside of this tower?“ Lupin asked as he walked slowly further in alongside Cardia.

„No“ she said, not looking at Lupin, instead her gaze was still fixed on her „father“’s inventions. „Despite him registering my handprint into the panel on the outside of the tower, I was, paradoxically, never allowed inside.“

„Never?“ 

„No. I guess he didn’t want me to find the truth about myself that way…“

Cardia walked over to the tiny desk and let her fingers glide over the old, dusty pages of Isaac Beckford’s notebook. Her facial expression was a mixture of nostalgia and sadness, perhaps even a longing for a time when her „father“ was still alive. 

Lupin walked up to her and gently embraced her from behind.

„Listen to me, Cardia,“ he eventually said as he let go of her and instead turned her around to face him, „I want you to stay in this tower until it is all over.“

„But I can’t just let you all fight on your own!“

„Please, Cardia… your body is still weakened from the sleeping medication Aleister has administered to you. It would be way too dangerous and I would never be able to forgive myself if you got hurt. I promise you that we will all get through this just fine and once we have defeated Aleister, we will come and get you.“

Cardia looked at him, her eyes filled to the brim with desperation. But Lupin was right. She was still weak and dizzy. Her joining the fight would not help the men in the slightest. So she relented.

„Alright. But how will you get me once I’m locked in here?“

„I will knock five times so you will know it’s me.“

He smiled and cupped her face with his hands. 

„Don’t worry, Cardia. There is no way we will let ourselves be defeated by Aleister.“

„I wouldn’t be so sure about that…“

The voice that came from behind them was like an icy spear right through Lupin’s heart. He let go of Cardia and turned around slowly, making sure that his body was shielding hers. 

To his horror, he saw none other than Jimmy Aleister standing before him. The older man was breathing heavily and Lupin noted that his formerly prim and proper clothing was disheveled, his hair tousled. The fight with Saint-Germain had seemingly taken a toll on him.

„Did you really think that defeating me and my men was such an easy feat? Not even your precious Count has been able to do that!“ 

„What did you do to Saint-Germain? Is he…?!“

„No, he is quite alright, just a bit busy fighting against, oh, about 10 of my men? Let’s see how much longer he can still hold out…“

„You bastard!“ Cardia screamed, trying to throw herself at Aleister with balled fists, but Lupin held her back.

„Oh, what do we have here? Little dollie wants to fight me? Let’s see what you can do with the hypnotic still running in your system! I should have killed you right away when I had the chance to do so…“

Aleister chuckled, then broke out into a maniacal laughter.

„The look on everyone’s faces would have been splendid! Especially Helsing’s! But you know… I can still do that… I will do that… and then, once I’m done, I will kill your protectors one. after. the. other.“

Cardia was quiet now but the rage was still bubbling in her chest. Without looking at her, Lupin silently took her hand and squeezed it in an attempt to keep her as calm as possible and to keep her from riling Aleister up even more.

„I will make sure to keep Helsing for last… after all, my beloved pupil is the reason why I prepared this grand finale! I want to see him suffer to unlock his true potential before I kill him. It’s going to be marvelous!“

Lupin’s gaze was fixed on Aleister and every muscle in his body was tense. He knew that there would be no other way but to fight him. This was not how he had planned things to go at all.

„Why are you looking at me with that serious look of yours, Lupin? It’s almost scary, you know? But don’t worry, I will make it quick…“

Aleister took out his revolver from the inside of his coat and aimed directly at Lupin’s face.

„Now, would you be so nice, Lupin and move to the side so I can kill Cardia first?“

„Like hell will I move from this place…“ Lupin spat back, his eyes ablaze with fury as he kept on holding his gaze.

„What a pity. It seems like your wish to die at the same time as your beloved doll is way stronger than reason. Well then… I will fulfill that wish of yours…“

„I highly doubt it.“

Now it was Aleister’s turn to be frozen with shock. In his hurry to run after Lupin and during his grand speech, he had totally forgotten about Helsing, hadn’t thought about the man following him, silently, waiting for his chance to get him. And he had used that chance well.

„Helsing,“ was all Aleister said as he finally turned around slowly to greet the muzzle of the other man’s weapon.

„This is where it all ends for you, Aleister,“ Helsing said. „From this day on, your rule over London’s underground, over Twilight and even Nightfall… is finally over.“

Aleister chuckled and lifted his arms in surrender. 

„…seems like I have to admit that you won, Helsing.“

„Drop your weapon. Now.“ Helsing ordered.

„Alright, alright… I guess you have finally surpassed your master and become the better soldier…“

Aleister let go of his weapon and held Helsing’s gaze as it fell. 

**„AS IF!“** Aleister shouted and caught his revolver in mid-air. He lifted it up, pointing it at Helsing…

…and then a gunshot rang out that reverberated from the walls of the tower and caused Cardia to scream.

With eyes wide open and blood running from the gunshot wound on his forehead down between his eyes, Jimmy Aleister fell over backward and moved no more.

Helsing’s shot had not only been faster, but also fatal.

„There was no option of taking you back alive to London anyway…“ he murmured, before he finally lowered his arm.

Victor, Impey and Saint-Germain appeared suddenly at the far end of the walkway, having ran through the mansion to reach Helsing, Lupin and Cardia in time. Upon seeing the scene in front of them, they were glued to the spot with perplexity.

„A-Abraham…“ Cardia finally said and tried to crawl on all fours into his direction. Tears had started to fall from her eyes and she was sobbing as all the anxiety and strain from before overflowed. This served to pull Helsing out of his stupor and he tucked the gun away before hurrying to pull Cardia into an embrace.

„A-are you alright? You’re bleeding…“ she asked, her voice shaky from the sobs that continued to shake her frame.

„I am, don’t worry, Cardia. It’s not a dangerous wound. I’m just so glad you are alright…“ he answered and pulled her in closer, burying his face in her locks and breathing in her sweet scent.

Finally, the others moved from their spot and hurried, one after the other, to where Cardia was.

„Saint-Germain! Victor! Impey!“ Cardia exclaimed and reached out for them while still in Helsing’s embrace. As soon as they had reached her, Helsing let go of Cardia and she was pulled into a crushing embrace by each man. 

After a couple of minutes of just holding each other and reveling in the fact that they were alive, Lupin turned to Saint-Germain, Victor and Impey.

„Are you alright? Is anyone badly hurt?“ 

„No, we’re fine,“ Victor answered. 

„What about Aleister’s men?“

„Dead. All of them,“ Saint-Germain said.

„Wow… well done,“ Helsing noted and smiled. „But honestly, this is something I noticed quite early on… it didn’t seem like the soldiers were as strong as the ones I faced months ago…“

„Oh no, they were strong, Helsing,“ Saint-Germain responded. „But this time, our worry and emotions regarding Cardia were giving us enormous amounts of strength.“

They all turned to smile at Cardia.

„Well, what do we do now?“ Impey asked and turned to the others.

„What else? We return home. All of us,“ Lupin replied and looked at Helsing, who smiled.

„Wait a minute. You two are suddenly behaving like the best of friends… what gives?“ Victor asked.

Helsing laughed.

„Let’s just say that we finally grew up and decided to bury the hatchet for good.“

„In the midst of all that chaos?“ 

„Sure.“

„I don’t believe you guys…“ Viktor replied and shook his head, but he, too, was laughing.

„Also…“ Lupin said and turned to Saint-Germain, „I finally apologized to Impey and we’ve made up as well. Don’t you think… that we could try living together again? As a six piece?“

„If you have really made up and are willing to make an effort to live together in harmony with no fighting, no jealousy and no other trouble… then I don’t see why not,“ Saint-Germain replied.

Cardia had a look of confusion on her face, clearly puzzled by the exchange.

„What are you talking about? What happened while I was gone?“

Lupin wrapped his arm around her shoulder and gave it a little squeeze.

„That’s a long story, Cardia… but we have a whole train ride back home to London to tell you all about it…“ 

~~**~~

The sound of birds chirping right outside her window gently woke Cardia from her slumber. She tried to blink the sleepiness away and stretched lazily in her bed. A gentle breeze wafted in and moved the thick curtains in her room back and forth ever so slightly.

For a while, she kept on laying on her back, before she eventually got up and walked over to the window, pulling the curtains aside to let the sunlight into the room. Cardia breathed the crisp, clean air in, then she walked over to her dresser to take out the flowing, white dress with intricate golden embroidery that Saint-Germain had gotten her a couple of days ago.

As soon as she had gotten dressed, there was a knock on the door before it opened and Victor poked his head inside the room.

„Good morning, Cardia! I was just about to wake you up. Breakfast is going to be ready soon.“

He smiled before approaching and leaning down to kiss her.

„Good morning Victor! Are the others already awake?“

„Saint-Germain is already in the lounge, Helsing and Lupin should be on their way and Impey is in the kitchen, of course. Shall we go?“

„Sure, I’m ready.“

They walked hand-in-hand out of her room and to the lounge, where Saint-Germain was already sat at the table, reading the morning’s newspaper. Upon hearing them enter, he lowered it and smiled at Cardia.

„Good morning, my dear Cardia.“

Cardia let go of Victor’s hand and walked over to the Count. He looked at her with his usual, loving gaze that made her feel like she truly was the most important thing in his life. Gently, he wrapped his arms around her torso and pulled her down onto his lap before kissing her.

„Good morning, Saint-Germain,“ she said lovingly when they parted.

Just then, the door opened and Helsing entered the lounge. Cardia got up and approached him, meeting him halfway as she was pulled into an embrace by the blond man. Helsing buried his face in her neck, peppering the skin with feather-light kisses.

„Hey, leave something for me, will you, Abraham?“ 

Helsing desisted from Cardia and turned around to look at Lupin who, too, had entered the room with a sly smile on his lips.

„We’ll see about that, Arséne…“

Both men started to laugh and Cardia gave Helsing a playful slap on his arm.

„Stop messing around, Abraham!“ she giggled before walking over to Lupin to greet him with a hug and kiss as well.

„Breakfast is ready! I hope everyone’s hungry~“ Impey called out as he pushed the kitchen door open and brought in some trays with all sorts of dishes.

He set them down on the table and before walking back into the kitchen, passed by Cardia to also give her a good morning kiss. 

„I’ll be right back to get the rest…“ he murmured and Cardia was sure he had purposefully worded it that ambiguously.

Soon he had returned with the remaining plates and everyone sat down to enjoy their meal. Like every morning, Saint-Germain spoke grace, something the group had agreed to do as soon as they had returned from Wales. It was a way of bethink themselves of their newfound unity and a way to express their gratitude for the fact that they had all returned in good health.

As Saint-Germain was speaking and they all held hands, Cardia thought of everything that had happened in the last couple of weeks. 

Jimmy Aleister was defeated and Twilight, as well as Nightfall, had vanished into thin air right after their leader had died. With the peril that had constantly been looming over their heads gone, the group was finally able to relax and start a new chapter of their life together in Saint-Germain’s mansion.

From the fight in Wales onward, Arséne Lupin and Abraham Helsing had been building a friendship that Cardia had never thought would have been possible. There were no arguments, no issues and, most importantly, no causes for jealousy anymore.

Instead, the five men had fully accepted that Cardia loved them all and were willingly sharing a relationship with her.

Cardia let her gaze fall on every single one of them, her heart filled to the brim with love.

Truly, she could not have been happier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, so this is it... the final chapter is finally here :) I hope you all liked the ending I have chosen for the group, but since I'm a sucker for happy endings, this was the only way to go.
> 
> It got twice as long as I had originally planned, but then again, you have all been waiting so patiently that I felt like this was the least I could do ;) I hope it wasn't too confusing, but there was a little time shift between the parts written about Cardia and the others, so what you were reading wasn't happening at the exact same time.
> 
> I would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has left me lovely comments and kudos on my fic, I really appreciate it <3 Also sorry for letting you wait so long each chapter (and particularly between chapter 4 and 5)... life was hectic, busy and difficult and that coupled with my habit of procrastinating made things take way longer than they should have taken :/ 
> 
> Anyway, this was my first multi-chaptered, longer fic and while I originally only wanted to write a one-shot, I'm glad I continued to write.


End file.
